Two of the city’s top officials differ on legalizing pot.
Mayor Donna Deegan, a liberal Democrat, is for the proposed amendment to the state constitution that would make Florida the 25th state to make “recreational” marijuana legal.
Sheriff T.K. Waters, a Republican, is opposed.
The issue has been hotly debated for years. Marijuana can help with some medical issues but used in excess it can be harmful, the Mayo Clinic says.
Supporters have raised about five times as much money as opponents and polls show two-thirds in favor, with the exception of one poll showing only 49 percent approval and 14 percent undecided. A vote of 60 percent is required for approval.
Medical marijuana was adopted by Florida voters in 2016 by a vote of 71% to 29%.
The initiative on the November ballot would legalize recreational marijuana for adults 21 years old and older. Individuals would be allowed to possess up to three ounces of marijuana (about 85 grams), with up to five grams in the form of concentrate. Existing Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers would be authorized under the initiative to sell marijuana to adults for personal use.
“I think it’s the absolute wrong thing to do in our community. Just because people think it’s fun to smoke weed, doesn’t mean that it should be legal,” Waters said at a town hall meeting.
Deegan said, “I support Amendment 3. People shouldn’t be jailed and caught up in the system for small amounts that are for personal consumption. There should still be laws in place that regulate the time, place, and manner for appropriate usage. All in all, people should be free from government interference if they aren’t putting the public in danger or disrupting the community.”
Places that have legalized pot are seeing increases in related crime and traffic offenses, Waters said.
“It will make neighborhoods and roadways less safe and our families less healthy.”
The positions the two officials are taking are not unusual. Democrats generally want to legalize many crimes and put fewer criminals in prison. The police, who spend a considerable amount of time and money on drug-related crimes and re-arresting the same people over and over, take the opposite position.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis also opposes the initiative, calling it “extreme” and “radical.”
