As terrible drug problems continue to wreak havoc on our country, we must turn to the real superheroes of our society: law enforcement officials and rescue teams. Needless to say, some of the finest fighters in the aptly named “war on drugs” are the K-9 unit officers and their dogs, which are trained to sniff out and detect some dangerous substances responsible for criminal activity and addiction cases across the United States. As new job policies change position in the civilian workforce, however, even police dogs are falling victim to the “job-changing” problem. Why is that the case? According to sources, the dogs are being weaned off marijuana and are being trained to hunt something far more dangerous. Let’s take a closer look at the situation and find out more.
Retraining K-9 Companions
Interestingly, one of the reasons behind this change is simple: a shift in marijuana policy. Due to the fact that the little green plant is 100% legal in several states, some police dogs are being trained to sniff out more dangerous drugs, as they were originally taught.
Usually, law enforcement agencies trained their dog officers to sniff out and detect powerful drugs like cocaine, crystal meth, heroin, and marijuana. However, the animals cannot (of course) identify these drugs, so they must simply alert their handlers to the presence of the substances at a crime scene. However, now that marijuana is completely legal in some states, police are concerned that their dogs will issue a “false alarm” over the presence of the fragrant herb.
As a result, police dogs in areas of Washington and Oregon are being put through “extinction training” (desensitization), a 30-day process that will wean the dogs off the scent of marijuana.
A Completely Useless Process
However, some police departments do not agree with this new tactic and argue. According to these officers, the dogs need to be trained to detect illegal pot activity. After all, in Washington State, the possession of more than 1 ounce of marijuana is a criminal act. Officers argue the K-9 dogs can crack open cases of weed trafficking and illegal growth, as well.
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