It was disturbing and with a heavy heart that I learned the Tribe is considering becoming drug dealers. I understand the Tribe can use money, but really, is that what the Tribe wants to be reduced to, dope pushers?
Last winter the Burns Paiute Tribe issued a proclamation rejecting marijuana on Tribal land. Tribal Council Secretary Wanda Johnson stated, “The Council values health and wellness above all else, in protection of future generations.” The Burns Paiute Tribe chose honesty, ethics, integrity, traffic safety, protection of families and children and to respect, honor and obey our Federal laws of the land by rejecting anarchy rather than to be complicit in producing and injecting an addictive insidious poison into communities, tribal and non-tribal alike. The Burns Tribal Council conducted surprise drug tests on its employees of its casino when it was in operation, determined to keep its casino operation’s integrity above reproach.
Children will always take some of their marijuana-addicted parents’ dope to school to introduce their friends to the drug world. The dope always ends up in the hands of the children, always! Responsible employers will not hire marijuana laced dope heads.
I am cognizant that former US Attorney General Eric Holder told the Tribes to go ahead and deal in marijuana. However, he turned out to be untrustworthy, without honor, ethics or integrity, and committed nonfeasance, misfeasance and malfeasance in office.
News reports tell us that the Drug Enforcement Administration recently raided the Menominee Tribe of Wisconsin, seizing and destroying their crop of marijuana.
Consequently, the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe in South Dakota set their marijuana crops on fire and destroyed them.
Some will argue marijuana is medicine; no, it is not. The term “medical marijuana” is a scam and subterfuge. How about some “medical” cocaine, or “medical” heroin or “medical” rat poison? Arbitrarily putting the word “medical” in front of dope does not make it medicine.
The ingredient in marijuana arguably said to help control pain is (THC). Is the tribe aware that a legal, safe pure lab-produced (THC) pill named MARINOL is available at pharmacies by prescription, is FDA approved and covered by insurance?
I personally have forty years experience dealing with dope heads, from jailing them to restraining them to licensing them for employment in tribal gaming. I learned through trial and error there is only one policy that they understand and that works. That is zero tolerance.
To be fair, there are numerous medical terms associated with marijuana, such as altered senses, mood changes, impaired body movement, difficulty thinking, impaired memory, breathing problems, increased heart rates, birth defects, mental illness, hallucinations, paranoia, potentially fatal aspergillus (fungus), schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and addiction along with leukemia and mental issue with the unborn and that’s just for starters.
Welfare lines are loaded with marijuana addicts who cannot pass a drug test in order to find a job. The marijuana is more important to them than their children, their spouse or finding a job.
An additional potential problem for entites that pursue dope peddling is civil liability. Conversations are underway to consider filing lawsuits against dope producers who do business with full knowledge of the human suffering and in some cases loss of life that mat potentially result from their actions. Also, it does seem like the optimum of gross negligence to sell dope with hundreds of potentially dangerous chemicals telling people it’s medicine.
In Nevada, the US Attorney’s office is pursuing prosecution of dope dealers, like the recent conviction of Paul Davis for transporting marijuana and meth in his car, resulting in a 30-year sentence in the Federal penitentiary. The prosecutor of his case was Assistant US Attorney for Nevada, Amber Craig. Also, truck driver Civtor Orozco was cuaght transporting dope in his truck and received a 16-year sentence.
I would really encourage the Tribe to have an in-depth discussion about the issue before they make any rash decisions to “deal with the devil,” i.e., Columbian, Mexican or American Cartels.
Respectfully submitted,
Frank C. Gardner, Fernley
Burns Paiute Gaming Commission Chairman (Ret.)
