Drug sweeps at ski resorts....

Didn't read but Gary Johnson is against the war on drugs. Also drugs are bad mmmkay

Sounded like they were blaming gary johnson in your post. Also why wouldn't you just post the article?

SANTA FE – One Carson National Forest employee has been called a Nazi, former Gov. Gary Johnson is on the warpath and there have been numerous other complaints because of a drug sweep by Forest Service agents at Taos Ski Valley last week.

In short, the agency is catching some serious grief for an operation in which four agents with a drug dog issued several citations and confiscated “possession amounts” of marijuana in a “saturation patrol” that included the ski valley parking area and nearby roads.

And the Forest Service is doing some serious backpedaling.

We’ve had “many, many complaints,” said Kathy DeLucas, a Carson National Forest spokeswoman.

She said her office had no prior knowledge of the Feb. 22 operation and that the impetus for the sweep came from Forest Service law enforcement in Albuquerque. The ski valley operates on Carson National Forest lands.

Robin Poague of the Albuquerque office and special agent in charge for Forest Service’s Southwestern Region said he’s “not sure who actually made the decision” to conduct the drug sweep. That individual may be away on a training assignment, he said.

“I don’t agree with the tone that was set by the officers there,” said Poague.

Asked what he meant, he said, “I think there were too many officers up there. … We are taking a look at it and the unintended consequences of public perception.”

Poague described the operation as a “saturation patrol” and it was his understanding that, prior to the raid, “they had some issues up there,” apparently some sort of altercation.

“I am definitely conducting an inquiry as to what happened up there,” he added. He said he’s aware of the number of complaints to the Taos office “and that’s led to my concern.”

“Our goal is that people have a safe experience on Forest Service land,” said Poague.

Ski valley marketing director and vice-president Chris Stagg said he didn’t witness the officers in action but employees and guests complained to him and other ski valley officials.

“They didn’t show respect to people,” said Stagg. “Clearly, I thought the officers, their demeanor was rude and out of line.”

One consequence of all this, according to DeLucas, was that a Taos employee of the national forest “went into the grocery store in her Forest Service uniform and was called a Nazi. So it’s affecting all of us.”

Apparently, “there was a cancer fundraising event and youth event” going on at the ski valley when the officers and their dog made their appearance on a Saturday, she said.

“A father who had his 11-year-old daughter with him there said ‘Skiing is supposed to be fun,’ but he was subjected to this,” DeLucas added. She said she’s forwarding complaints to Poague.

Johnson: ‘Police state’

Former Gov. Johnson, who lives at Taos Ski Valley, said he was outraged.

He was on the ski hill the day of the drug sweep but didn’t see what happened when the officers showed up.

“This is a police state,” said Johnson, a former Libertarian Party candidate for president and advocate for drug legalization. “These are jackbooted thugs.”

He wanted to know “who is ordering this and why?”

Johnson said he got first-hand accounts of the raid from a dozen people. He was told the officers had to muzzle their “dog because this dog even bit one of its handlers. This dog was in the face of young children.”

Poague said the dog was a “drug and protection dog,” and it sniffed vehicles for drugs and did not sniff people.

Five pot tickets

The Forest Service officers issued five violation notices for marijuana possession, one for illegal possession of prescription drugs and others for traffic or vehicle equipment violations. There also were verbal warnings for things like cracked windshields, said Poague. No “traffickable amounts” of pot were found, he said.

Stagg said the Forest Service raid had stirred up bad feelings similar to those stoked by a State Police drug task force roadblock at the ski valley in the 1990s. Skiers and visitors on their way to the valley on NM 150 were subjected to drug dog searches.

That event was condemned by the then chief of the New Mexico Tourism Department, the late Michael Cerletti. A travel writer from the East who got caught up in the roadblock alleged that he was intimidated into making “a contribution” to a local crime fighting group.

Current tourism secretary Monique Jacobson, who is originally from Taos, could not be reached for comment Friday afternoon.


Boom, now nobody has to answer shit.

fuck the police

well no shit, they can walk into most ski resorts on federal land and anyone with cannabis is gonna get fucked, our country is a backwards hellhole, just don't get caught with cannabis.

They're just looking for meth labs, didn't you watch breaking bad?

bump

oucchhh

who cares...

because it's super dope?

also dope means smack unless youre 50 and stupid

Thats a little out of line, especially if only 5 "pot tickets" were given out. Not like they found any huge busts

Cause you're a bum

Killington had mountain ambassadors sniffing gondolas hardcore when I was up there in November.  Not sure if they're still doing it but it was super lame.  I don't even smoke and I kept getting eyeballed by these part time fuckers.  We asked some lifties and they were like "It's new and its fucking stupid.  Just complain to guest services because everyone is trying to get them to stop doing it."

Respect to Gary Johnson for reaffirming his stance on drugs.

ahh refreshing to hear the view from an ignorant pothead park rat. You really think killington wants to have people blazing in gondolas when their known as a destination resort for families with little kids?

Ok, chief.. Did you even read my post?

im pretty sure they cannot do a random "drug search" of cars. 14 amendment? thats federal, so the land they are on is irrelevent. dui check points have been afffirmed, but if they stop you in you car and say, "hey, drug search." you can decline the search as you are not under arrest or under suspicion of commiting a crime, thus no search is even a little bit warrented. know your rights, kids

also pretty sure i meant 4th amendment

All they have to do is have the k9 walk around your whip and if it signals the cop that is enough probable cause. Even though how are we supposed to know if the dog actually smells anything. Dang ol Police state.

Oh shit, I better stop bringing "traffickable amounts" of pot to the mountain!

The drugs are fucking illegal, how can any of you guys even complain?

Oh look! It's the genius that's actually retarded!

Because the laws against marijuana are ridiculous. Just because it's a law doesn't mean people have to agree with it. You'll understand when you get your 15 year old head out of your ass.

Lol attempt at an age insult, that the best you got?

Treehouse of horror VII aired in 1996...hugo is at least 18. He was probably 8 in the episode so we can be confident Hugo is 26

Just fucking blaze up in private off the trail somewhere and no one will give you problems. I dont understand why people are up in arms about resorts being "anti-marijuana". They are operating a business and 420blazeitfagots are hardly a blip in a mountains target market.

We get it, you smoke weed and want to be public about it. but a family ski resort is not the place.

What are you talking about? Blaze in private off trail? That's the plan. When the cops are harassing people on the way to the mountain that's a police state

TIME FOR CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT

Sorry, I was aiming my comment more toward the posts about killington sniffing out the gondi. I didn't read the OP article, but drug sweeps into resorts are no bueno.

Shut up.

definitely stay in CO.  NM would eat you alive.

I agree with all that. but you said it yourself, theres always gonna be ignorant parents who think weed is the devil. So until its federally legal like smoking a butt, just do it in private. I dont see how that is a big deal at all.

agreed, it would be sad to see your teeth lost to someones shoe...

So hard bro

I have heard Beaver Creek doing the same thing this season. People's passes have been pulled just for being suspected of things and others that have been caught have been arrested and fired from their jobs at the mountain. Serious bummer

breaking the law doesn't mean you are taking a stand against it, you are just breaking the law. Understandable that the laws may need to be revisited, but you are on private property in a place where its still illegal. can't getting high just wait until you get home? there really isnt a benefit to smokin up while at the mountain. Maybe once you grow up and realize there is more to life than getting high and giggling with buddies in the woods you'll understand.

Yeah maybe when I turn 25 in august, 2 and a half years after my military service, i'll finally understand..

how to people still hold the skewed perspective that only young people smoke pot? older people are just better at hiding it

There is no benefit to having a good time and enjoying your ski day? Why do you ski then?

i dont need weed to enjoy skiing.

ya i've seen similar situations before, hate seeing people lose out on skiing let alone jobs over pointless tax dollar wasting police activity. Its not likely someone is going to bring pounds up to the basin. Unless it is hurting someone they should just fuck off. It's unnecessary and a waist of time that could be spent doing some thing helpful.

I hope your just trolling because you do realize that to most people on here you sound like an idiot, right?

Ooooooohhhhh. Gotcha.




Well I don't need marijuana, I enjoy it. They sell tons of alcohol at ski hills and that's not necessary to have fun either. And being shit housed wasted is 100% more dangerous than smoking a joint.

All of this shit about it's a law so expect to get in trouble. Stop being such a fucking sheep.

eh. i just dont see the big deal. apparently weed is more important to you than i thought. this is like getting mad that mcdonalds doesnt let you smoke weed in the building..

on the 1-retarded scale you excelled with that one.

As long as the NARC's buy a pass and search me in line I don't have a problem with that, I got nothing to hide. However, iif they pull me out of line to do their sweep, I'll be hella pissed.

Steamboat busted about a dozen people on the gondola a few years back when they did a sting. Ended up letting everyone off on the grounds that they didn't have a right to search them because someone else they unknowingly/unwillingly rode up with lit up while they were in the gondola. One person didn't get let off because he rode up by himself.

lol...

I got a ticket for no registration even though my car was registered.  Other people received tickets for broken windshields.  A handful received tickets for possession of drugs and paraphernalia.  The point is that there is no reason for the Forest Service to police an area that is already policed by municipal, county, and state authorities (Taos Ski Valley, NM has a population of 90).  The Forest Service should be concerned about poachers and people that rob the national forest of its protected resources, not poor resort employees that can't afford to get their broken windshield fixed.  I literally walked out of work and found a fine on my windshield for more than I made that day.