Pubdate: Wed, 07 May 2014
Source: Gainesville Sun, The (FL)
Copyright: 2014 The Gainesville Sun
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/yMmn4Ifw
Website: http://www.gainesville.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/163

DRUG LAW REFORMS

When nearly nine in 10 Florida voters agree on something, the folks in
the minority have to question whether they've taken a reasonable position.

That's the situation in which Alachua County Sheriff Sadie Darnell and
the Florida Sheriffs Association find themselves. Darnell was among 63
of 67 county sheriffs that signed on to the association's resolution
opposing the legalization of marijuana for any purpose.

The resolution doesn't specifically mention a state constitutional
amendment that would legalize marijuana for medical purposes, which
voters will consider in the fall. But the resolution does say the
association strongly opposes the legalization of pot use, sale or
possession, while maintaining that marijuana has no accepted medical
use.

A poll released Monday found that nearly nine in 10 Florida voters
disagree. The Quinnipiac University poll found that 88 percent of
voters support allowing adults to use marijuana for medical purposes,
suggesting the amendment has a good chance to pass.

The opposition of the sheriff's association and Darnell in particular
carries some contradictions. The group supported a bill that would
legalize a non-euphoric strain of marijuana known as Charlotte's web
for a limited list of medical purposes. Lawmakers passed the measure
and Gov. Rick Scott has said he'll sign it.

In Alachua County, Darnell has faced criticism for her deputies
arresting people for possessing small amounts of marijuana. She told
The Sun last year that she smoked marijuana in college and doesn't bar
employees who admit to using it in the past.

But she said that her department will enforce marijuana laws until
they're changed.

"If people believe that the law needs to be amended or taken off the
books, then so be it," she said.

Her opposition to the citizens-driven medical marijuana amendment
sends a much different message. But to be fair, the amendment is
hardly the best way of making public health policy. Medical
professionals might be put in the difficult position of being asked to
write marijuana prescriptions for people with dubious medical conditions.

The fact that the measure would be written into the state constitution
makes it hard to change if problems arise. Yet state lawmakers have
been unwilling to consider broad medical marijuana laws or
decriminalizing recreational pot use.

The Quinnipiac poll found that 53 percent of voters support allowing
adults to legally possess small amounts of marijuana for personal use.
Decriminalizing marijuana possession would be a reasonable step to
consider, removing the threat of a criminal record or jail time.

Marijuana use didn't hurt the career prospects of Darnell and other
sheriff's department employees who used the drug. That isn't the case
with everyone, and a racial disparity in marijuana arrests means black
users face severe consequences at a higher rate than white ones.

Rather than just simply opposing the amendment, Darnell should
consider backing other drug law reforms that the public clearly supports.
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