Is a change in the nation’s drug laws leading to a dumbing down of the next generation of drug dogs?
In the Northwest, police agencies are looking for dogs that can sniff out cocaine and heroin, but not marijuana.
"I think we saw the writing on the wall after marijuana became legal in Washington and Colorado," said Springfield Sgt. Rich Charboneau, in an interview with the Oregonian. "We thought it could possibly happen here, so we decided we probably should not even train for it."
Springfield is among the growing number of Oregon police agencies that have decided to phase out or reassign their pot-detecting dogs as state voters legalized the recreational use of pot last fall.
Under the new law, which takes effect later this year, people 21 and older can legally possess up to 8 ounces of marijuana and pot-infused products in a home. A person can carry up to one ounce legally in public.
In California, pot proponents are preparing a possible initiative for the 2016 ballot that would legalize marijuana in California.