Florida's largest county would join Philadelphia and other cities, and 18 states in making possession of small amounts of marijuana a civil vs. a criminal offense.
By Noelle Skodzinski
"People caught with small amounts of marijuana could soon get a civil citation instead of a jail term in Florida's largest county, which may become the first in the state to treat marijuana possession as a non-criminal act," reports the Kansas City Star. "The Miami-Dade County Commission is considering a proposal to let police issue $100 civil citations for possessing small amounts of marijuana as an alternative to a misdemeanor arrest."
Many were hoping Florida would be come the first Southern state to enact a full medical marijuana program.
Florida does have a limited medical marijuana program in place, under Senate Bill 1030 (aka Charlotte’s Web), which was signed by Governor Rick Scott in June 2914. SB 1030 legalized the use of a non-euphoric strain of cannabis (with almost nonexistent levels of the THC “high-inducing” compound) to treat conditions including epilepsy, Lou Gehrig’s disease and cancer. Qualifying patients could access vapor and oils, but not smokable or other forms of marijuana.
Commissioner Sally HeymanCommissioner Sally Heyman
While Florida may have lost on Amendment 2, it has some hope for marijuana law reform in its largest county, thanks to the new decriminalization measure put forth by County Commissioner Sally Heyman.
Miami would join other major cities, such as Philadelphia (the largest U.S. city to decriminalize small amounts of pot) and Portland, Maine, if it passes the decriminalization measure. It also would join 18 states, including some surprising states such as Maryland and North Carolina, in passing decriminalization laws
Here is, from NORML–the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Law–the list of states that have passed decriminalization laws.
- Alaska
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- District of Columbia
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New York
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
"The Miami decriminalization proposal, approved by a committee last week, will go before the full commission June 30," reports The Star. "If it passes, Mayor Carlos Gimenez will have the final say."
If it were put to a vote by Florida residents, possession of small amounts of marijuana would likely be decriminalized statewide: According to a Quinnipiac University poll released in July 2014, "a majority of Floridians also support legalizing the possession of small amounts of recreational marijuana, 55 percent to 41 percent," reported The Huffington Post.
Eighty-eight percent of residents support the legalization of medical marijuana--"with the number in favor reaching as high as 95 percent among voters 29 and under," according to HuffPo.
Feature photo: Copyright Zimmytws | Dreamstime.com
