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Pubdate: Sat, 20 Feb 2016
Source: Tampa Tribune (FL)
Copyright: 2016 The Tribune Co.
Contact: http://tbo.com/list/news-opinion-letters/submit/
Website: http://tbo.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/446

SANCTIONING DRUG USE IN TAMPA

Tampa City Council is playing with fire with a plan to decriminalize 
marijuana use.

Don't be surprised if local drug abuse explodes if the council 
approves the measure to issue only civil citations for possession of 
20 grams or less of pot

Passage of the ordinance seems assured. The council voted 6-0 
Thursday to hold an initial public hearing March 3 on the measure, 
which would go into effect after a second public hearing. Only 
Councilman Charlie Miranda seems skeptical.

The move, undoubtedly, would be popular. And it's true, current law 
is too harsh. As the Tribune's Christopher O'Donnell reports, the 
offense is a first-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in 
prison or probation, and a $1,000 fine. Offenders also can lose their 
driver's license for two years, affecting their job prospects.

And as City Councilman Harry Cohen, an ordinance supporter, points 
out, going to court can cost thousands of dollars for attorneys, 
court fees and such. No one wants to see someone saddled with a 
criminal record and lose their job for a youthful indiscretion.

A disproportionate number of those arrested for modest quantities of 
pot - there were 1,900 such arrests in Tampa last year - are 
minorities, an understandable concern for council members and Mayor 
Bob Buckhorn, who also supports the ordinance.

But signaling to the community that smoking pot is no big deal is 
almost certain to result in more marijuana use, which law enforcement 
officials know often leads to more serious drug abuse and other crimes.

It is fine to want to spare individuals a criminal record and legal 
costs, but this plan does not even hold repeat offenders accountable.

Individuals could be caught with marijuana four times before they 
would have to go to court. The initial fine would be $75, which would 
escalate to $150 for a second offense, $300 for a third and $450 for 
a fourth. That is giving illegal drug users a lot of hits off the bong.

And 20 grams makes about 40 joints - hardly an insignificant amount.

The plan only affects adults, and the intent is to ensure juvenile 
offenders attend drug court or receive treatment. But minors surely 
will take note when the city essentially gives individuals 18 years 
and older the go-ahead to use pot.

Of course, to adopt a citation plan that holds offenders accountable 
and ensures they receive adequate oversight would be costly. But a 
civil citation ordinance that causes more drug abuse, damages lives 
and undermines the public's safety will be costly as well.

We don't fault council members for wanting to give offenders another 
chance, but this plan is entirely too permissive. At the very least, 
it should allow for only two offenses.

Cohen says, "One of the good things about this is we can do it for 
six months, have law enforcement report back, and if it's not having 
the intended effect, fix it."

That seems a sensible approach, but may be easier said than done once 
the council begins a pot experiment that could have dangerous and 
unexpected long-term consequences.

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Newshawk:

http://www.drugsense.org/donate.htm &
www.flcan.org 
Pubdate: Sat, 20 Feb 2016
Source: Tampa Tribune (FL)
Webpage: http://drugsense.org/url/pE0AW51W
Copyright: 2016 The Tribune Co.
Contact: http://tbo.com/list/news-opinion-letters/submit/
Website: http://tbo.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/446

SANCTIONING DRUG USE IN TAMPA

Tampa City Council is playing with fire with a plan to decriminalize marijuana use.

Don't be surprised if local drug abuse explodes if the council approves the measure to issue only civil citations for possession of 20 grams or less of pot

Passage of the ordinance seems assured. The council voted 6-0 Thursday to hold an initial public hearing March 3 on the measure, which would go into effect after a second public hearing. Only Councilman Charlie Miranda seems skeptical.

The move, undoubtedly, would be popular. And it's true, current law is too harsh. As the Tribune's Christopher O'Donnell reports, the offense is a first-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in prison or probation, and a $1,000 fine. Offenders also can lose their driver's license for two years, affecting their job prospects.

And as City Councilman Harry Cohen, an ordinance supporter, points out, going to court can cost thousands of dollars for attorneys, court fees and such. No one wants to see someone saddled with a criminal record and lose their job for a youthful indiscretion.

A disproportionate number of those arrested for modest quantities of pot - - there were 1,900 such arrests in Tampa last year - are minorities, an understandable concern for council members and Mayor Bob Buckhorn, who also supports the ordinance.

But signaling to the community that smoking pot is no big deal is almost certain to result in more marijuana use, which law enforcement officials know often leads to more serious drug abuse and other crimes.

It is fine to want to spare individuals a criminal record and legal costs, but this plan does not even hold repeat offenders accountable.

Individuals could be caught with marijuana four times before they would have to go to court. The initial fine would be $75, which would escalate to $150 for a second offense, $300 for a third and $450 for a fourth. That is giving illegal drug users a lot of hits off the bong.

And 20 grams makes about 40 joints - hardly an insignificant amount.

The plan only affects adults, and the intent is to ensure juvenile offenders attend drug court or receive treatment. But minors surely will take note when the city essentially gives individuals 18 years and older the go-ahead to use pot.

Of course, to adopt a citation plan that holds offenders accountable and ensures they receive adequate oversight would be costly. But a civil citation ordinance that causes more drug abuse, damages lives and undermines the public's safety will be costly as well.

We don't fault council members for wanting to give offenders another chance, but this plan is entirely too permissive. At the very least, it should allow for only two offenses.

Cohen says, "One of the good things about this is we can do it for six months, have law enforcement report back, and if it's not having the intended effect, fix it."

That seems a sensible approach, but may be easier said than done once the council begins a pot experiment that could have dangerous and unexpected long-term consequences.
- --=====================_890158475==.ALT-- - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom