Florida Cops Take Softer Stance on Medical Marijuana

Law enforcement officials in Florida are not nearly as opposed to medical marijuana as they were back in 2014, reports the Orlando Sentinel.

Although many police groups remain against the idea of legalizing marijuana for medical use in the Sunshine State, a shift in public opinion has allowed some of these law-fighters to calm down a little with respect to the issue.

But make no mistake about it—none of these cops are prepared to come out in support of legalization.

Although the Florida Police Chiefs Association (FPCA) has voiced an opposition to Amendment 2, citing concerns that “this amendment may create more problems than it intends to alleviate,” not every police chief has taken this position.

Orlando Police Chief John Mina does not back the FPCA’s stance, but also has not offered a statement of support for the medical marijuana proposal.

Orlando is among several Florida cities that have decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana, giving police officers the discretion to issue a $100 fine for the offense rather than enter a person into the criminal justice system. Chief Mina maintains that passing the decriminalization ordinance was “the right thing to do.”

In November, voters will head to the polls to decide once again on United for Care’s Amendment 2, which seeks to establish a comprehensive medical marijuana program for patients suffering from a variety of health conditions. A similar measure narrowly missed two years ago, because Florida state law requires 60 percent support for ballot measures. The initiative received approval from only 58 percent of the voters.

Unfortunately, there is a serious wave of opposition for Amendment 2 starting to emerge.

Last Friday, it was revealed that casino billionaire Sheldon Adelson donated $1 million to the “No on 2” campaign—giving some indication that one of the richest men in the world is about to pull out all of the stops to defeat Florida’s medical marijuana initiative again.

Adelson, who is the CEO of Las Vegas Sands Corp, is responsible for pouring $5.5 million into a campaign that sabotaged United for Care in 2014.

The good news is—there is strong support for medical marijuana in Florida. Some of the latest polls indicate that 77 percent of the voters intend to get behind Amendment 2 later this fall.