Marijuana decriminalization is all the rage these days. Regardless on where you stand on this issue, the movement is gaining momentum. Arizona law enforcement recently passed a resolution against decriminalizing pot in Az. The arguments are largely the same as those given in the days leading up to the end of alcohol prohibition.
But, the real - underlying issue isn't safety or health, it's money. According to many studies, asset forfeiture is a huge business. Just about every law enforcement agency has some asset forfeiture fund from which to draw for big ticket purchases. Unfortunately for them, it looks like this honey pot is going away soon.
How does this relate to the topic of DME and forensics? Simple. Our budgets are about to shrink big time - if they haven't already. Access to the easy money of asset forfeiture funds is about to go away, if it hasn't already. LE managers will have to think seriously about their purchases of gear, service contracts, and total cost of ownership.
Vendors like Adobe and Avid are moving to a subscription based software-as-service model. But our forensic tools aren't necessarily priced as such. They're usually very expensive. Those vendors with lower pricing may win out. But, either way, it's time to get frugal.
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