• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • News
  • Lifestyle
  • Wellness
  • Cuisine
  • Product Reviews
  • Subscribe
Cannabis News and Culture Magazine

Cannabis News and Culture Magazine

Cannabis News and Culture Magazine

Emerald Media News Subscription
  • Print Magazines
  • 100+ Minority-Owned Companies to Support
  • No Pipe, No Problem
  • Blunt vs. Joint
  • The Cost of Cannabis in Each State
  • Calculating Your Edibles Dosage
  • Flintts Mouthwatering Mints

New Bill Introduced to Decriminalize Cannabis In Florida

August 16, 2019 by Rita Thompson Leave a Comment

It’s no secret that Florida has been lagging behind the cannabis train for quite some time now. However, with one state after another realizing the effects of both decriminalized and legalized industries, the sunshine state is finally getting on board. Well, almost. 

A Florida lawmaker introduced a bill on Monday Aug. 5 that would decriminalize low-level cannabis possession in the state. Filing the legislation was Democratric Representative Shervin Jones, who noted the long standing disproportionate effects that cannabis arrests have had on minority communities. “We must restore justice to our broken criminal justice system,” Jones stated in a press release. “For far too long, communities of color have been disproportionately impacted by laws governing marijuana, and we must end this injustice once and for all.” 

“After being charged with possession, many Floridians feel the lasting impact as their student financial aid, employment opportunities, housing eligibility, or immigration status are adversely affected.” 

Introduced one week after placing broader cannabis legalization on the state’s 2020 ballot initiative, the bill would make possession and delivery of 20 grams or less a noncriminal offense with no jail time necessary. It would also cover possession of up to 600 milligrams of THC. 

Despite the ongoing support for legal cannabis being at an all time high in the state, Republican Governor Ron DeSantis has made it known that he won’t sign off on any legalization efforts as long as he’s in office. Furthermore, Jones has not heard from any other legislators in relation to his bill yet, but is hopeful the House Republicans will see it as a means to reform the criminal justice system, rather than to encourage cannabis use. Although, quite frankly, a little use encouragement might be just the thing the House needs.

If the bill passes, the maximum fine for possession of cannabis would drop 50% from $1,000 to $500, effective July 2020. Stay tuned for updates. 

Filed Under: Current, Lifestyle Tagged With: cannabis, decriminalization, florida, Main Gallery Images

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Advertise Here

Categories

Sustainability

seaweed naturals

SeaWeed Naturals Combines the Power of Seaweed with Cannabis to Further Ocean Restoration

April 3, 2022 By Maggie Horton

fungi climate change

Research Finds Fungi Help Ease Climate Change and Benefit the Environment

March 30, 2022 By Julia Meyer

climate crisis and the pandemic

“We Can Act:” What Bending the COVID-19 Curve Teaches Us About the Climate Crisis

April 21, 2020 By Melissa Hutsell

Footer

  • Subscribe
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Press

Recent

  • The Rise of Uncle Arnie’s in the Cannabis Beverage Market
  • Get Lit with Keith Romanowski of Lit Studio
  • Say Goodbye to Insomnia: 8 Tips for Getting a Good Night’s Sleep
  • Cannabis on the Ballot: State Legalization and the 2022 Midterm Results
  • Emerald’s 2022 Holiday Gift Guide

Search

Copyright © 2023 · The Emerald™ · News & Lifestyle Magazine

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings.

Cannabis News and Culture Magazine
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.