Times Union Reports: Drive started to decriminalize pot in Jacksonville Beach

Please see the very interesting article below which recently appeared in the Florida Times Union:

A proposed Jacksonville Beach amendment is taking aim at the current marijuana laws, with hopes to make part of them vanish into a puff of smoke.

The nation’s largest marijuana advocacy group is pushing a plan to make possession of less than 20 grams a civil infraction instead of a criminal misdemeanor. If the group’s petition receives 1,442 signatures from registered Jacksonville Beach voters, a decriminalization amendment would be added to the ballot in the November 2010 general election.

If it passes, it would be the first of its kind in Northeast Florida, and organizers say they would push it in the other Beaches communities and Jacksonville. Nationally, similar amendments have passed in several other cities, including Denver, and a handful of states.

“It’s the will of the people and a product of our grandparents,” said Ford Banister, chapter president of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, who’s spearheading the proposition. “It’s a political hot potato, and nobody wants to touch it. We’re out to change that.”

The proposed amendment would call for a civil fine of $100 for the possession of 20 grams or less –– enough for about 10-15 joints. The marijuana would also be confiscated. State law calls for up to a year behind bars and $1,000 in fines. Jacksonville Beach police would have the option to enforce either law.

“The Beaches is small, conservative and generally Republican,” Banister said. “But we feel confident about it. Between church and the Navy, this will be a great test for the entire state.”

More than 14 million Americans smoke marijuana at least once a month, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Its use led to more than 900,000 arrests last year, according to NORML.

Jacksonville Beach police made 29 arrests for possession of marijuana under 20 grams since Jan. 1, records show.

While misdemeanor possession can lead to a one year sentence and a $1,000 fine, most first-time offenders typically settle with pleas, according to the State Attorney’s Office.

The biggest concern associated with the drug is the violence that stems from its sale and distribution, said Dan McCarthy, chief assistant to State Attorney Angela Corey.

“We don’t spend a whole lot of time dealing with marijuana possession cases,” he said. “But drugs are certainly a major part of criminal conduct. The problem in this county is violent crime, and drugs can often lead to that.”

But dropping marijuana possession to a civil infraction is becoming a growing national trend.

More than a handful of cities have decriminalized marijuana this year through similar local charters, said Allen St. Pierre, the group’s executive national director who oversee the organization’s 155 chapters.

Thirteen states have legalized marijuana for medical use, with Michigan being the most recent. And potent strains of the drug can now be purchased in vending machines throughout California with proof of medical need.

“These charters rarely lose,” Pierre said. “And if it washes in Jacksonville Beach, it will probably wash throughout the state.”

Banister and reform supporters argue that making marijuana possession the lowest law enforcement priority will reduce government spending, free up needed police officers and allow many teenagers to retain a clean record –– keeping them out of the criminal justice system.

About a year ago, Seattle agreed. It dropped marijuana possession to one of its lowest priority offenses. The city hasn’t seen any negative adverse effects since, said Detective Renee Witt, spokeswoman for the Seattle Police Department.

But agreement hasn’t quite been reached for Jacksonville Beach residents.

“It needs to be controlled,” said Freddie Wilson, 54. “This will just bring more unwanted wackos to the beaches.”

But Fred Brown said he’s all for the idea. The 58-year-old former California resident said he’s seen the drug have many positive effects on the west coast.

“It’s only illegal because of politics,” Brown said with a smile. “Alcohol is by far more dangerous, and it has no medicinal value.”

Others see the side of both arguments.

“I don’t really care either way,” said Wayne Upchurch, 38. “There are pros and cons to both.

But I do think it’s something people are going to do behind closed doors either way.”