Recently Leon County Commission Chairman Bill Proctor proposed a looser marijuana ordinance. I don't agree; I do not think marijuana should be decriminalized, because it's bad for people to use it. It's OK to put people in jail for possessing marijuana. Possession should be a misdemeanor. People need to go to jail for what they did. People need to understand it is dangerous to drive under the influence of marijuana. Courtney Robinson, Tallahassee, Robinsonc420@gmail.com [end]
Under the federal Controlled Substances Act, marijuana is classified as a schedule 1 drug, which means it has no medicinal value and is highly addictive. But the Drug Enforcement Administration is, once again, considering moving it to a less restrictive category that better reflects both its danger and the undeniable facts on the ground - that nearly half the states in the nation allow the use of cannabis for medical purposes, and several allow it to be used recreationally. The DEA told lawmakers that it intends to make a decision by July. [continues 335 words]
I believe I might have a solution to wrong-way drivers. Legalize marijuana and use the taxes from it to install devices that would prevent wrong-way drivers from entering onto exit ramps. It's a pretty simple solution. I do not indulge in the smoking of marijuana. But I truly believe that legalizing it won't make people who don't use it run to get it. The people who use it will do so whether it's legal or not, so let the rest of us benefit from it by taxing it. I'm sure we could find other uses for the tax dollars also. I'm looking forward to all the replies to this. Larry Zucker Valrico [end]
4 Criteria Must Be Met to Receive Only a Citation TAMPA - A new law allowing Tampa police the option of issuing civil citations for those possessing small amounts of marijuana takes effect today. But don't be fooled. The new ordinance does not mean that everyone found with up to 20 grams of weed - about three-quarters of an ounce - will automatically avoid arrest. For instance, if you get pulled over while driving and smoking marijuana, your vehicle will still likely get searched - thanks to the lingering smell, also known as probable cause - while you sit, handcuffed, in the back of a patrol car. [continues 1654 words]
Be careful, Tampa! As the city loosens the consequences of pot, officials need to think through the long-term results. Don't lose our city to the pot enthusiast. Yes, Colorado now reaps millions in new tax dollars, but at what cost? The destruction of what was once a beautiful place to live? Just be careful. Robert Webb Tampa [end]
I read the editorial in The Tampa Tribune on Feb. 20 concerning "Sanctioning drug use in Tampa" and was pleased to see that you are skeptical about the ordinance, which Mayor Bob Buckhorn signed into law last week. You have every reason to be skeptical. You should be more than skeptical. Those people who want to legalize marijuana are not informed of the harm caused to individuals from its use, especially to the brains of young people. I also believe that people are not aware of the difference between medical marijuana and recreational marijuana. [continues 355 words]
Sponsor Says Governor Has 'Heart & Compassion' TALLAHASSEE With Floridians poised to vote this fall on broad legalization of medical marijuana, Gov. Rick Scott on Friday signed a bill that will allow terminally ill patients to have access to marijuana as they try to ease suffering. The bill, which lawmakers approved this month, was one of 68 measures that Scott signed into law Friday. He also vetoed one bill dealing with a utility in Alachua County. Scott did not issue a comment on the medical-marijuana bill (HB 307), but House sponsor Matt Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach, went on Twitter to say the governor showed "heart & compassion" by signing the measure. [continues 472 words]
He Didn't Comment on Hb 307, Which Expands Existing Law TALLAHASSEE - With Floridians poised to vote this fall on broad legalization of medical marijuana, Gov. Rick Scott on Friday signed a bill that will allow terminally ill patients to have access to marijuana to ease suffering. The bill, which lawmakers approved this month, was one of 68 measures that Scott signed into law Friday. He also vetoed one bill dealing with a utility in Alachua County. Scott did not issue a comment on the medical-marijuana bill (HB 307), but House sponsor Matt Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach, went on Twitter to say the governor showed "heart & compassion" by signing the measure. [continues 144 words]
Two years ago, the medical marijuana constitutional amendment was on the ballot in Florida. Even though a majority of voters supported it - - 58 percent - it failed to meet the 60 percent threshold needed for passage. There was a strong and well-financed opposition that relied on doomsday scenarios and scare tactics. Others who opposed the measure did so by saying the change should be done by the Legislature in statute, not by citizens in the Florida Constitution. During that time the Legislature - opposed to full-fledged decriminalization of marijuana for medical purposes - passed a very limited form of non-euphoric marijuana for children with epilepsy or chronic seizures. [continues 698 words]
Two years ago, the medical marijuana constitutional amendment was on the ballot. Even though a majority of Florida voters supported it - 58 percent - it failed to meet the 60 percent threshold needed for passage. There was a strong and well-financed opposition that relied on doomsday scenarios and scare tactics. Others who opposed the measure did so by saying the change should be done by the Legislature in statute, not by the Florida Constitution. During that time the Legislature - opposed to full-fledged decriminalization of marijuana for medical purposes - passed a very limited form of non-euphoric marijuana use for children with epilepsy or chronic seizures. [continues 568 words]
Regarding the Sentinel editorial "Drug policy gets smarter in Volusia" on March 10: I applaud the efforts of Volusia County in decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana, and I believe that Orange County, along with the city of Orlando should follow suit. With the current push to legalize medical marijuana, it doesn't make financial sense to arrest and prosecute those who are found with small amounts of the drug. It costs taxpayers an exorbitant amount of money to prosecute an individual for an infraction. If the government would make marijuana legal, it would give government an absolute advantage in the market, as it could regulate and legally produce more of it than the current street pharmacists at a lower cost, effectively putting them out of business. The editorial stated that in lieu of prosecution, the penalty would be a $100 fine. This alternative would greatly cut the state's cost when compared to prosecuting offenders, which in return would increase local economic growth for the municipality. LaShanna Tyson Altamonte Springs [end]
Civil Citation Would Be Option for People With 20 Grams or Less Fines, rather than arrests, now will be the approach for people found in possession of small amounts of marijuana after the Tampa City Council on Thursday gave final approval to a new law that downgrades the offense to a civil citation. Council members voted 5-1 to adopt the ordinance, which gives police the option to issue a fine for adults found with up to 20 grams, roughly three-quarters of an ounce, of marijuana. The new law is expected to go into effect in a few days, once signed by Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn, who supports the measure. [continues 568 words]
Just once I would like to see a story that mentions opioids in a positive way. Your story on March 16 indicated that the CDC is recommending that doctors not prescribe opioids to patients without trying to treat pain in other ways. Very few legitimate physicians will immediately write an opioid prescription as a first choice. But the stress that is being placed on doctors is causing legitimate physicians to reconsider their treatment formularies. Opioids saved my life and my sanity. I have been taking them for many years. They allowed me to work in a stressful job until I was 68 years old; they allowed me to spend my summers traveling all over the world; and they have kept me from spending my retirement in bed, in pain. There are many of us who have benefited considerably from these pills. We are legitimate patients consulting legitimate doctors who are trying to give us the best possible lives, and now once again our "lifeline" is being attacked. We are the users not the abusers. Susan Dean, Davie [end]
As heroin-related deaths continue to spike in Central Florida, a task force of education, law-enforcement and public-health experts rolled out more than three dozen recommendations Monday to help Orange County fight the resurgence of the street drug blamed for 82 deaths last year. The group suggested equipping police and deputies with naloxone, a medicine that instantly reverses the potentially fatal effect of heroin; increasing the number of so-called "detox beds" to treat addicts; and creating a program for heroin-addicted inmates in the Orange County Jail. [continues 555 words]
Re: Heroin epidemic demands a federal response - March 8, commentary I don't doubt that Rep. Vern Buchanan's motives are good, but he proposes trying harder on a policy that has never worked in 100 years: the federally supported drug war. He writes of 'disrupting the local and global heroin supply chain' and 'federal grants to combat drugs' and his 'fight against bogus pill mills.' That's the same drug war-speak we've been hearing forever. I suggest we ask the Swiss for help. Their policy began in 1994 as an experiment, then expanded and was voted by referendum in 2008 to be part of their health services. Methadone is not a 'controlled substance.' The goal is not abstinence. Addicts who cannot get by on methadone are prescribed heroin. Most important, there is no heroin supply chain to disrupt; it dried up because there was little profit in it. John G. Chase, Palm Harbor [end]
I am a '60s person, a retired exec, a Vietnam-era vet, et. al. I was at Woodstock and Goose Lake. I have been smoking joints since then - no, not every day or even every week. It is not addictive and does not force one to use heavier, hardcore drugs. Marijuana should be legalized and taxed like many of our Western states have done. Of course, in Florida the cartels will not let that happen. They would lose money. This is 2016. Will someone wake up? Skip Arthur Largo [end]
You don't have to condone illegal drug use to recognize that it makes no sense to brand someone a criminal for possession of less than an ounce of marijuana. Especially if the offender is a young person, the resulting arrest and criminal record could be a barrier to future success in life. Such concerns motivated Volusia County Council member Joshua Wagner to champion an ordinance that decriminalizes getting caught with a small amount of marijuana. So instead of an arrest, court appearance and hefty fine or possible jail time, the penalty for possession of 20 grams (0.7 ounces) or less of marijuana in unincorporated Volusia will now usually result in a $100 fine, but no criminal record. The ordinance takes effect in April. [continues 485 words]
In response to Stan White of Dillon, Colo., Pot Smoking Capital of the USA. Smoking marijuana has been proven to damage social life, ruin job opportunities, give anger issues, decrease motor skills and create vehicle accidents, increased heart rate, disorientation, lack of coordination, depression, going to sleep and not waking up on time and then feeling tired. Long-time joint smokers often suffer from bronchitis and inflammation of the respiratory tract. Smoking marijuana in heavy use can cause brain abnormalities. Taking the medicinal ingredients (THC) from marijuana and putting it in pill form or oil will aid the medical needs just like smoking it and it will not disrupt nerve cells in the brain like smoking does. Do you really want to chance harming our kids with this ridiculous idea of smoking marijuana for medical reasons? Go down this road and it will give the green light to our kids now and in the future. Mike McLeod Palmetto [end]
Voting 6-1, the Tampa City Council is considering a civil citation for persons over 21 who are arrested with 20 grams or less of marijuana. The intent of this citation is to potentially prevent a person from getting a criminal record for possessing pot, and to save our county money in court and jail costs. It was suggested that minority groups are being arrested at higher rates for possession and impacting their ability to get a job in the future. [continues 287 words]
Broward Man Used Service Weapon to Steal From Drug Dealers A deputy U.S. Marshal from Broward County who used his government-issued duty weapon to steal 24 pounds of marijuana from drug dealers in northern California was sentenced Wednesday to 10 years in federal prison. Clorenzo "Mack" Griffin, 38, who grew up and lived in Fort Lauderdale, pleaded guilty last year to one count of conspiring to commit robbery. He was fired after his arrest. He admitted he planned, financed and participated in the Oct. 11, 2014, armed robbery in Yuba City with two friends from Miami prosecutors said he recruited to help him. [continues 678 words]
Inside Florida
