Pubdate: Fri, 15 Apr 2016
Source: Orlando Sentinel (FL)
Copyright: 2016 Orlando Sentinel
Contact:  http://www.orlandosentinel.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/325
Note: Rarely prints out-of-state LTEs.
Author: Stephen Hudak

DEMINGS NOT OPPOSED TO MARIJUANA PROPOSAL

Orange County should consider Orlando's proposal to decriminalize 
possession of small amounts of marijuana, the sheriff and Mayor 
Teresa Jacobs said Thursday.

Sheriff Jerry Demings stopped short of giving his full support to 
Orlando's measure, which would allow police to issue a civil citation 
rather than arrest someone who is caught with 20 grams or less of 
pot. But he said he "would not be opposed" to the county adopting a 
similar policy.

Jacobs said she wants the county's public safety council to dive into 
the issue.

"My concerns are the many details that need to be worked out 
collaboratively - with all of our county jurisdictions and 
public-safety partners at the table," Jacobs wrote in an email to the 
Orlando Sentinel.

The discussion among the county leaders arose as the Orlando City 
Council prepares to vote on its measure Monday.

Under the proposed ordinance, a first offender would face a $50 fine 
while a second offense would cost $100. The offense currently carries 
a possible one-year jail sentence and a maximum fine of $1,000.

The sheriff, facing a reelection challenge this summer, revealed his 
stand after reviewing details of Orlando's proposal, although he 
insisted he wanted his deputies to retain discretion to make arrests 
rather than write a ticket.

Jacobs said she will recommend a closer examination by the Orange 
County Public Safety Coordinating Council, which includes 
representatives from law enforcement, corrections, the judiciary and 
prosecutors.

The mayor and the sheriff both expressed concern about confusion if 
Orlando makes a change and the county does not. Both envisioned a 
scenario where a resident of Orlando could be issued a ticket while a 
nearby neighbor who lived in the county could get arrested for 
possessing the same small amount of marijuana.

Orange Commissioner Pete Clarke said he was willing to discuss the 
idea but he wanted a study, too.

"It's kind of a sign of the times. Attitudes are changing," he said. 
"The question I have in my mind is: Is the risk worth it?"

Orange Commissioner Victoria Siplin said she was concerned that 
citizens may be confused.

"It's still going to be illegal to possess marijuana in the state of 
Florida and people will still be arrested for it," she said.

Of the 43,000 Orange County Jail bookings last year, about 6,700 were 
related to drug possession and, of those, only a few hundred were for 
misdemeanor marijuana possession, Demings said. "In the big scheme of 
things, it's going to be statistically insignificant," he said.

Earlier this week, Orlando Police Chief John Mina, who supports the 
change, shared the proposed ordinance by email with Demings, UCF 
Police Chief Richard Beary and other Orange police chiefs.

University of Central Florida police would not be bound by any 
changes in Orlando or Orange County code as they follow state 
statutes, Beary said.

But campus police typically do not make arrests in cases that involve 
small amounts of marijuana unless there are other underlying crimes 
or special circumstances, he said. They usually issue a referral to 
the Office of Student Conduct, where an offender could face a range 
of punishments.

Most often, the student is required to complete a drug and alcohol 
awareness class that outlines health risks.

Campus police also may issue an offender a summons to appear in county court.

Meanwhile, Apopka police want to wait and see, police spokesman 
Andrew Parkinson said.

And Steve McCosker, interim deputy chief for Ocoee police, said, 
"We're watching what happens with the bigger departments."

Several South Florida governments, notably Broward, Miami-Dade and 
Palm Beach counties, enacted similar policies. Volusia County and the 
city of Tampa adopted nearly identical ordinances last month.

But not everyone agrees with the trend to decriminalize marijuana.

David Siegel, the Orlando timeshare mogul who recently accompanied 
Jacobs to a congressional hearing about heroin and opioid abuse, said 
relaxing marijuana laws would cost lives and cause more health 
problems in the long run.

"I'm going to tell you something: marijuana is the starter drug," 
Siegel said during an interview in which he discussed the overdose 
death of his 18-year-old daughter, Victoria. "Marijuana is the 
gateway to all the problems. I hear people arguing otherwise all the 
time. I'll stand up and debate them."
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