The Key West, Florida City Commission has voted unanimously to approve an ordinance that would establish an $100 ticket for the possession of up to 20 grams of cannabis. Similar proposals were approved recently in Miami-Dade, Florida’s largest county, and in Miami Beach.
Under the proposed ordinance, which will be given one final vote on September 1st before becoming law, police will have the option of issuing a $100 fine to those caught possessing no more than 20 grams of cannabis, rather than arresting and prosecuting them. Under current law, the possession of up to 20 grams of cannabis is a guaranteed misdemeanor which can result in a year-long prison sentence.
While taking steps toward complete legalization of the drug, the state is far from making pot legal to smoke. Regardless of the arguments pro and con for the medicinal properties of marijuana, the economic implications are enormous.
The additional tax revenue that could be generated from legalizing marijuana in Florida would help the state’s student reach parity with other students around the country.
According to a 2014 study by NerdWallet, Florida could be the third largest marijuana market in the nation with potential tax revenues of over $180 million per year. Only California and New York would be larger, with estimates of $519 million and $248 million, respectively.
Monroe State Attorney Catherine Vogel told commissioners she had no objection to the proposed ordinance. She said the during the first months of 2015, her office handled 53 cases of misdemeanor marijuana possession.
“This is not an endorsement of marijuana,” said Commissioner George Neugent, who brought the issue to the commission. Instead, he said it was an effort to free up police and court resources to focus on more serious offenses.