Taxpayers beware: There is a dangerously naive proposal making the rounds in Tallahassee. Some politicians want to significantly damage Florida's successful Contraband Forfeiture Act. This is the law that prevents criminals from profiting from their illegal acts. Just like we prohibit killers from profiting by writing books about their crimes, the civil contraband forfeiture law in Florida allows law enforcement agencies to seize assets that are linked to criminal activity with full due process protections for the accused.

Bills sponsored by Sen. Jeff Brandes and Reps. Larry Metz and Matt Caldwell (Senate Bill 1044 and House Bill 889) would make it more difficult, and sometimes impossible, to seize criminals' illegally obtained assets. As a result, more crooks will get to keep their ill-gotten money while you work, pay your taxes, and now will have to pay more to ensure law enforcement has the necessary tools to fight and reduce crime. Why should hardworking taxpayers pay more in taxes while criminals who sell drugs to our kids get to keep their dishonestly acquired money?

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This is in regard to your Feb. 7 editorial ("As government drags its feet, voters move on medical pot") regarding the acceptance of the medical marijuana initiative on the November ballot.

As a 75-year-old Californian who recently moved to Florida, I take no prescription drugs. Medically legal cannabis for chronic pain, insomnia and post-traumatic stress disorder has changed my life. It's shocking to see the Florida media featuring misleading images and inaccurate representations of what legalization will mean to Floridians.

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I remain so disappointed in the lawmakers unwilling to see the benefits of legalizing marijuana completely. It helps with more things that ail a person than what will be medically prescribed eventually. I realize this is a backwards state, just one, among several others. The laws imposed upon us, by people who can drink their way into oblivion, if they choose, is kind of hypocritical ... don't you think? They are stuck in a time warp and can't see past their rigid beliefs. Legalize it. Put laws on it. No difference than the rules for drinking. It is not a gateway drug.

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After utterly failing to bring relief even to children with severe epilepsy through a non-narcotic form of marijuana, Florida officials fully deserve the wrath of voters who are on the way to taking matters into their own hands - with a constitutional amendment that would make marijuana available for a wide range of debilitating medical conditions.

The medical marijuana amendment has gained enough signatures to qualify for the November ballot. It is sponsored by the same folks who fell just short with a similar amendment in 2014. Then, the measure got 58 percent of the vote. This time - in a higher-turnout, presidential election year - the chances of gaining the needed 60 percent seem in the bag.

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I'm not surprised that enough petitions have been collected to put medical marijuana on this year's ballot. I believe true medical marijuana would have eased my 73-year-old father's pain before his death due to cancer.

I was approached a few weeks ago at a grocery-store parking lot by someone seeking my signature on the petition. I declined because all the activists were high-school and college-aged youth. Did they all need "'medical" marijuana? I doubt it. But apparently they'd like to have "medical" marijuana legalized.

Beware of the intent and how this would be administered.

Judy Lineberry Clermont

[end]

Alachua County officials are heading in the right direction by creating alternatives to arresting people caught with small amounts of marijuana.

The police departments of the county's municipalities and college campuses, along with officials in other counties and statewide, should get on board with such an approach.

The County Commission voted 4-0 on Tuesday to move forward with an ordinance that would allow civil citations to be issued to someone caught with 20 grams of marijuana or less. The citations are an alternative to an arrest or issuing a notice to appear in court.

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Regarding 'A first step' (Your Views, Jan. 20): Legalizing marijuana is going to open a can of worms. We have construction workers who have to operate heavy equipment; if they use marijuana, this would endanger everyone around the area. Then there are the ramifications of long-term usage - lung cancer, arterial disease, etc. Education is key to letting these people know marijuana is not the answer.

Stephen Burchett, Seffner

[end]

Regarding: "Tampa moves to downgrade pot offense" (front page, Jan. 12): As we move toward decriminalization of marijuana, a caveat: Although decriminalization will reduce the cost of enforcement and avoid upsetting the lives of arrestees, it will not reduce the violence, the murders, the drive-by shootings, the deaths of innocents caught in the crossfire, or the grisly murders south of the Rio Grande. Credit the law of supply and demand for all that. Demand will increase, owing to the reduced cost (i.e. just a ticket, not an arrest). Increased demand will increase price, other things being equal. This will add to the wealth and violence of the street market. And if enforcement shifts from users to suppliers, as many of our leaders say it must, price will rise even higher. This is why alcohol prohibition failed. We arrested bootleggers, but not drinkers. The 1920s were, in effect, a time of decriminalized alcohol and ended only when alcohol became legal again.

It is very important to decriminalize marijuana, but know that it is just a first step in ending the violence and corruption inherent in enforcing prohibition against a substance that millions of Americans want.

John G. Chase Palm harbor

[end]

Decriminalization of marijuana is coming as a refreshing breeze. We Americans deal ourselves a triple whammy when we enforce a law that makes a felony of behavior that is not criminal.

First, there is the waste of taxpayer money to enforce that law. Second, there's the loss to society of contributions the felon would have made if he had not been fighting the charge. Third, there's the loss of respect by the public for a criminal justice system that focuses on small offenses.

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The Tampa City Council is right to explore ways to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana by issuing civil citations. Council members should look seriously at the issue and adopt a measure that will appropriately punish lawbreakers without saddling them with criminal records as a similar effort continues in St. Petersburg and Pinellas County.

In a unanimous decision last week, Tampa City Council members voted to discuss the creation of a civil citation ordinance.

In February, the council plans to look at what other local governments have done and determine how to best move forward in Tampa. Separately, Mayor Bob Buckhorn said police and city attorneys have been working on a civil citation ordinance for eight months.

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Those Caught With A Small Amount Would Face Citations Instead Of Jail

TAMPA - Close to 1,900 arrests made by Tampa police last year included charges of possession of small amounts of marijuana.

The crime is a first-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in prison or probation and a $1,000 file. Offenders can also lose their driver's license for two years, making it tough to hang onto a job.

A conviction comes with the lifelong stigma of a criminal record, a bar to jobs in law enforcement and the armed services, and eligibility for public housing and some college scholarships.

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I applaud Sheriff Ric Bradshaw on his response to recent actions taken by the Palm Beach County Commission pertaining to marijuana laws. Our Florida Legislature enacts laws. Our police officers are trained and sworn to enforce those laws.

City and county commissions who are enacting civil penalties for marijuana possession are attempting to divert the energies of "law enforcement" to serve as revenue-enhancement agents enforcing civil penalties. Creating ordinances that cater to the pleasures of constituents indirectly supports many poor people forced to grow marijuana in lieu of food crops, the cartel, the street dealer and the families affected by the end result.

Don't vilify the police. The responsibility to prosecute or not rests with the State Attorney's Office. Sentencing, civil fines and nonadjudication are the responsibility of the judge and not the cop.

MARTIN J. JACOBSON, PORT ST. LUCIE

[end]

Just when it seemed Florida might finally be getting off the state's dizzying medical marijuana merry-go-round, new variables promise further delay of the legal, non-euphoric marijuana the Legislature promised two years ago.

The 2016 session just became legislators' last chance to deliver compassion for children with intractable epilepsy, and people with advanced cancer and similar debilitating conditions.

The priority on this issue should be to clear the regulatory haze and implement the 2014 law - given voters' near-certain approval of a much less desirable constitutional amendment that would legalize euphoric marijuana for medical use.

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A former deputy U.S. Marshal from Broward County is facing at least 10 years in federal prison after admitting he used his duty weapon to steal 24 pounds of marijuana from drug dealers in northern California.

Clorenzo Mack Griffin, 38, who grew up and lived in Fort Lauderdale, pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of conspiring to commit robbery at a hearing in federal court in Sacramento, Calif. He was fired after his arrest.

Griffin admitted he planned, financed and took part in the Oct. 11, 2014 armed robbery in Yuba City with two friends from Miami, who have already admitted their roles in the crime, according to court records.

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Eleven companies challenged Florida's limited medical-marijuana program Monday by contesting how the state awarded licenses to start the industry.

The challenges mean another round of court proceedings and judges' decisions before anyone can be certain that Knox Nursery of Winter Garden and the four other regional licensees have legal authority to grow marijuana and process and sell medicines derived from it.

The challenges will be heard by Florida Division of Administrative Hearings judges. The potential timing of those cases was unclear Monday, though each challenge may be handled on a case-by-case basis.

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Sellers Can't Use Many Words to Describe It

For any medical-marijuana joints interested in coming to Altamonte Springs, the most descriptive business names have already gone up in a puff of green smoke.

In fact, the previous sentence contains no fewer than six words that these establishments would be barred from using.

All total, Altamonte Springs leaders have prohibited 27 terms from appearing in the titles of medical-marijuana retail centers, including the words "medical" and "marijuana."

And "dope,"

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Officials in Altamonte Springs seem really worried about pot.

I'm worried about them ... and whether they're smoking it.

Because you'd have to be puffing on something pretty strong to pass the goofy ordinance they did this week - one that tells medical marijuana businesses they can't use words such as "medical" and "marijuana" in their business names.

First of all, I should mention the tiny little detail that medical marijuana isn't even legal in this state. But Altamonteans don't care about that. They want to regulate any possible medicalpot businesses that might crop up if the state ever does legalize it.

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The Florida Department of Health has awarded licenses to Knox Nursery in Central Florida and four other growers in other regions of the state to become the first in Florida to legally grow marijuana and manufacture medicines from it.

Knox, a Winter Garden greenhouse operator, was selected from among eight companies vying to get the state's exclusive license for the 18-county region that forms a broad swath from St. Petersburg to Daytona Beach and includes Orlando.

The Florida Department of Health issued the northwest-region license to Hackney Nursery Co.; the northeast to Chestnut Hill Tree Farm; the southwest to Alpha Foliage; and the southeast to Costa Nursery Farms.

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Florida State University defensive back Greg Reid was supposed to be a first-round NFL draft pick.

University of Florida defensive back J.C. Jackson was supposed to be an elite playmaker in the Southeastern Conference.

University of Central Florida running back Will Stanback was supposed to help carry the Knights' offense during what has turned out to be a dismal season.

Instead, their links to marijuana altered the trajectory of their promising careers.

At least 12 UF players have been linked to marijuana use by law enforcement since the start of former coach Will Muschamp's tenure in 2011, and the number is not considered exceptionally high for major college-football programs. Arrest figures were much higher during former Gators coach Urban Meyer's tenure. When schools announce that football players have been suspended for undisclosed rule violations, many immediately suspect marijuana was involved.

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TALLAHASSEE -- Patients who have been given a year to live could soon be allowed to use marijuana to ease their pain.

A Florida House panel on Tuesday OK'd legislation that would expand an existing, small medical marijuana program and a law allowing terminal patients to try experimental drugs. Now, with two doctors' approval, a patient can buy marijuana from a licensed grower in the state.

"Cannabis should be the first option for patients, rather than the last resort," said Rep. Katie Edwards, D-Plantation, speaking on behalf of Cathy Jordan, a Parrish resident who has suffered from ALS for 29 years. "No one should have to go through what I did to get their medication."

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