Miami Beach Voters Could See Marijuana Decriminalization on November Ballot
Group to launch petition drive at news conference on Wednesday, June 16, 2010 in front of Miami Beach City Hall (1700 Convention Center Dr.)
The Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy says adults should not be punished for using a substance far SAFER than alcohol -- MARIJUANA
MIAMI BEACH -- A local group will hold a news conference in front of Miami Beach City Hall on Wednesday, June 16, at 7pm at which it will launch a petition drive to place a marijuana decriminalization measure on the November city ballot.
The Sensible Marijuana Policy Charter Amendment will empower police to issue a citation for a civil infraction rather than processing a misdemeanor arrest when they find an individual to be in possession of a small amount of marijuana. The amendment will also increase the discretion of the State Attorney to permit a plea to a civil infraction where appropriate.
"The sum total effect of 72 years of marijuana prohibition and more than twenty million arrests since 1965 is that marijuana is now the largest cash crop in the United States and probably the most economically valuable agricultural commodity produced in the State of Florida. According to a recent report by Harvard economist Jeffrey Miron, Florida spends $573,366,000 annually on wholly ineffectual efforts to eradicate marijuana, a substance that every objective study has determined to be far less harmful than alcohol," said Ford Banister, Chairman of the Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy, who is spearheading the initiative.
The group, supported in part by a generous grant from the Miami film studio rakontur, must collect 4,240 valid signatures to qualify the measure for the ballot but it plans on collecting far more over the course of the next few months.
"We are confident that the progressive and enlightened citizens of Miami Beach will agree that it's time we stop driving people to drink with excessive penalties for the use of a far safer substance," Banister said. "And if they do not yet know how much safer marijuana is than alcohol and the savings garnered by ending a failed policy, we will be working hard to educate them over the course of this campaign."
WHAT: News conference to launch marijuana decriminalization petition drive
WHEN: Wednesday, June 16, 2010, at 7pm.
WHERE: In front of Miami Beach City Hall, 1700 Convention Center Drive
WHO: Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy (CSMP)
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: Sensible Flordia
Author: Ford Banister
Contact: Sensible Flordia
Copyright: 2010 Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy (CSMP)
Website: CSMP announces Miami Beach decriminalization initiative
* Thanks to free2blaze for submitting this article
Group to launch petition drive at news conference on Wednesday, June 16, 2010 in front of Miami Beach City Hall (1700 Convention Center Dr.)
The Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy says adults should not be punished for using a substance far SAFER than alcohol -- MARIJUANA
MIAMI BEACH -- A local group will hold a news conference in front of Miami Beach City Hall on Wednesday, June 16, at 7pm at which it will launch a petition drive to place a marijuana decriminalization measure on the November city ballot.
The Sensible Marijuana Policy Charter Amendment will empower police to issue a citation for a civil infraction rather than processing a misdemeanor arrest when they find an individual to be in possession of a small amount of marijuana. The amendment will also increase the discretion of the State Attorney to permit a plea to a civil infraction where appropriate.
"The sum total effect of 72 years of marijuana prohibition and more than twenty million arrests since 1965 is that marijuana is now the largest cash crop in the United States and probably the most economically valuable agricultural commodity produced in the State of Florida. According to a recent report by Harvard economist Jeffrey Miron, Florida spends $573,366,000 annually on wholly ineffectual efforts to eradicate marijuana, a substance that every objective study has determined to be far less harmful than alcohol," said Ford Banister, Chairman of the Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy, who is spearheading the initiative.
The group, supported in part by a generous grant from the Miami film studio rakontur, must collect 4,240 valid signatures to qualify the measure for the ballot but it plans on collecting far more over the course of the next few months.
"We are confident that the progressive and enlightened citizens of Miami Beach will agree that it's time we stop driving people to drink with excessive penalties for the use of a far safer substance," Banister said. "And if they do not yet know how much safer marijuana is than alcohol and the savings garnered by ending a failed policy, we will be working hard to educate them over the course of this campaign."
WHAT: News conference to launch marijuana decriminalization petition drive
WHEN: Wednesday, June 16, 2010, at 7pm.
WHERE: In front of Miami Beach City Hall, 1700 Convention Center Drive
WHO: Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy (CSMP)
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: Sensible Flordia
Author: Ford Banister
Contact: Sensible Flordia
Copyright: 2010 Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy (CSMP)
Website: CSMP announces Miami Beach decriminalization initiative
* Thanks to free2blaze for submitting this article
