Former Seattle Police Chief Travels to Anchorage to Campaign for Alaska Initiative to Legalize Pot

Despite years of advocating for marijuana legalization across the country, there's one thing former Seattle Chief of Police Norm Stamper hasn't done. The 34-year law enforcement veteran has never gone door-knocking for a political campaign.
This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. If you need to flag this entry as abusive, send us an email.

Despite years of advocating for marijuana legalization across the country, there's one thing former Seattle Chief of Police Norm Stamper hasn't done. The 34-year law enforcement veteran has never gone door-knocking for a political campaign.

"I'm a little scared," he joked Tuesday, moments before he and a handful of other proponents of Ballot Measure 2, an initiative seeking to legalize recreational marijuana in Alaska, headed out to canvass Alaskans in Anchorage's Inlet View neighborhood.

Knocking on doors throughout the neighborhood was the last stop for Stamper, who spent several days making the rounds in Anchorage, visiting with media and appearing on a variety of call-in talk shows.

Stamper's appearances are an attempt to counter points made by opponents of the ballot initiative regarding law enforcement. Stamper, who served as Seattle police chief from 1994 to 2000, is an advocate for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, a national nonprofit organization consisting of current and former law enforcement officials challenging what they call the "failures" of American drug policy.

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot