VALPARAISO — Marijuana was not among the top concerns of most of the sheriffs from northern Indiana who gathered Tuesday morning for a roundtable discussion at the Porter County Sheriff's Department.
But the potential of the drug being legalized in the state did concern many of them.
"We are opening a window we can't shut," said Warren County Sheriff Bill Miller.
Miller claimed the legalization of marijuana in other states has fueled public safety and criminal problems.
State Rep. Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso, told the group that they are in the minority on the issue.
Polls place up to 65 percent of the public squarely behind the legalization of marijuana, which puts lawmakers under pressure as representatives of the public, he said.
While Soliday said he and other lawmakers are doing what they can to educate themselves on the issue — including a trip to marijuana-friendly Colorado by Soliday for an educational seminar — the drug is still illegal at the federal level, which is preventing scientific research.
Public perception of the drug as being nothing more than a "feel good" substance is winning the day, the group said.
"We are losing the PR war on marijuana," said state Rep. Jack Jordan, R-Bremen.
St. Joseph County Sheriff Michael Grzegorek warned that opiates were originally billed as safe and have now become one of the top concerns facing by law enforcement around the state.
In addition to the continued challenges involving drugs, the sheriffs said Tuesday they are being increasingly pulled away from their usual duties to transport mental health patients.
LaPorte County Sheriff John Boyd said his officers have driven patients to facilities as far away as Chicago and Evansville.
This is creating shortfalls in finances and staffing, the group said.
Boyd said family and friends are also leaving those with mental health problems in jail rather than paying low bonds because they are exhausted from dealing with them and know they are safe.
"Too many end up in our jail when they need to be in a mental health facility," he said.
Porter County Sheriff Dave Reynolds said the problem is being fueled by mental health facilities unwilling to accept patients without insurance.
He said while the jails have stepped up to serve as detox centers, they cannot take on these patients too.
"We're not a mental health facility," Reynolds said.