Press Release: Constable’s new policy designed to protect medical marijuana patients and privacy rights
SUNBURY, PA – On Tuesday, January 20, Constable Ed Quiggle, Jr. the elected Pennsylvania State Constable for the City of Sunbury’s 9th Ward signed a policy resolution for his office, known as the Compassionate Medical Cannabis Reform Resolution, which aims to protect the right to privacy and the rights of medical marijuana patients. The resolution makes the Office of Constable for Sunbury’s 9th Ward the first law enforcement agency in the state, and perhaps the country, to make it official policy not to enforce or cooperate in the enforcement of any acts which prohibit, penalize, or criminalize medical marijuana. “This is about protecting patients, their medical freedom, their right to privacy, their inherent rights. The infringement of these rights is unconstitutional, and even if there were a constitutional way to prohibit these medicines, patients with a medical necessity are justified in violating such acts. That is why my office will not be enforcing any local or state act, or assisting or cooperating in the enforcement of any federal act, that prohibits medical marijuana and similar medicines,” Constable Quiggle said. His signing may be seen at the 58:49 mark in the video below:
The language of the resolution is based in part on language from a proposed ballot initiative that activists in the City of Sunbury and the City of Shamokin are working to place on the ballot in 2015. The groups People of Sunbury United for Medical Marijuana and People of Shamokin United for Medical Marijuana are currently initiating the process to gain ballot access for the initiatives. In the constable’s resolution, he urges the people of Sunbury to support such a ballot initiative, and also calls on the local and state governments to take action on the issue as well. “This policy only applies to my office. In order to properly protect patients we need more law enforcement agencies to adopt similar policies,” Quiggle said.
Constable Quiggle previously signed policy resolutions opposing federal acts such as the National Defense Authorization Act of 2012 (NDAA) and the USA PATRIOT Act, and opposing unconstitutional acts violating the right to keep and bear arms. In January of 2014 Quiggle worked with the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association (CSPOA) on a resolution to oppose what they view as a wide range of violations to the U.S. Constitution. The resolution was signed on January 24, 2014, and has since been signed by hundreds of law enforcement officers, elected officials, and others across the country.
Constable Quiggle signed the Compassionate Medical Cannabis Reform Resolution at a meeting of the Luzerne County Campaign for Liberty where he spoke about the office of Constable. “We need to exercise the powers that we have, the power of the people and the power of the elected peace officers. We all need to exercise our powers to protect patients who have an inherent and indefeasible right to enjoy life, liberty, property, and the pursuit of happiness,” Quiggle said.
Quiggle was elected Constable of Sunbury’s 9th Ward in 2011, and was sworn into office in January of 2012. To read Resolution 2015-1, the Compassionate Medical Cannabis Reform Resolution, go to http://sunburypastateconstable.us.
Contact information:
Office of Constable of the 9th Ward of the City of Sunbury
ward9@sunburypastateconstable.us
(570) 486-5545
