Jacksonville City Council rejects proposal to decriminalize pot possession

Jacksonville takes a strong stand against cannabis.

The Jacksonville City Council on Tuesday said no to a watered-down cannabis decriminalization bill.

The legislation would have allowed officer discretion in cannabis possession arrests involving less than 20 grams.

The measure failed on a 3-15 vote.

Bill sponsor Garrett Dennis has had real difficulty in a City Hall dominated by Mayor Lenny Curry and proposing relaxed drug laws was a bridge too far for many.

Councilman Al Ferraro had qualms, saying it would make conditions worse in troubled neighborhoods.

“It’s going to attract more … in these areas crying for help. Please do whatever you can to stop this from coming,” Ferraro said.

Like fentanyl, marijuana is a scourge for Ferraro, who is “concerned about it” in the same manner.

Councilman Ron Salem, a druggist by trade, said that beyond children with seizures, cannabis was of no use compared to the trusted world of prescription medicine.

Councilman Aaron Bowman said that opposing decriminalization would send a message to people moving here that Jacksonville is a city of laws, one that stands athwart the devil’s lettuce.

Bowman suggested that people would drive from elsewhere to partake. The sponsor rejected that logic.

“Never heard of anyone driving across state lines to get high,” Dennis said.

Council President Scott Wilson likewise had “real concern” about the bill, positing that marijuana could be laced with fentanyl.

Though Brenda Priestly-Jackson noted that cannabis arrests have a “disproportionate impact” on “communities of color,” the fentanyl/marijuana connection was too hard to refute for this Council and trumped concerns about law enforcement targeting African-Americans with possession raps.

Polling showed 84 percent support for decriminalization just this year, but clearly no members of the City Council were canvassed.

Jacksonville’s Council is bucking a trend of decriminalization throughout the state, which is reflected in two separate bills in the U.S. House of Representatives filed by Florida Republicans, each seeking to move cannabis to Schedule III.

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27 comments

David
September 25, 2019 at 5:37 am

Why am i not surprised at the absolute ignorance of these people? #boldnewcityofignorance
Karen
September 25, 2019 at 6:44 am

When will suckers like David figure out that dumbing down our kids with common core and drugging our citizens is the globalist plan to control every aspect of life!! Wake up people!!! Thank goodness most of our city council members get it!!!
- Ahi Tuna
  September 25, 2019 at 8:02 am
  
  Hahaha, Karen!
- Sherron
  September 25, 2019 at 10:57 am
  
  It would still be illegal for kids to smoke pot, Karen, you fat cow.
  - Veronica
    September 25, 2019 at 12:32 pm
    
    No need for name name calling idiot. You dont have any right to call people names at all. So if you dont wanna be disrespected you imbocile dont name call.
- Lesley
  September 25, 2019 at 2:27 pm
  
  I used medical marijuana RSO for my breast cancer. My 2 breast tumors and my 2 positive lymph nodes are cleared as per my PET scan.
  
  No chemo, no surgery, no radiation!
  
  Open up your mind and let these treatments in so we don’t have to kill off our friends and family with chemo and radiation!
  
  I didn’t lose my breast, hair or suffer any ill side effects.
  
  What would you try to save your life and body parts?
  
  Check out Cannabis Health Radio on YouTube to see hundreds of people who cured their deadly diseases with Cannabis!
  
  Even court judges who used to lock people up for this, cured his deadly COPD with it. He is now traveling Florida to change people’s perspective.
  
  Let move into 21st century treatments.
  - Rene
    September 25, 2019 at 7:15 pm
    
    Exactly. They need to read up on cannabis it has lots of great things to offer maybe read rick Simpsons books. Congrats on the breast cancer. And yes to cannabis
- Neal
  September 25, 2019 at 7:30 pm
  
  Gotta love that “small government” arresting people for smoking weed in their own home
- Csd
  September 25, 2019 at 8:52 pm
  
  Yeah let’s just dumb them down with opioids instead
Mark
September 25, 2019 at 8:35 am

This has more to do with the council’s relationship with Garrett Dennis than Mr. Zigzag.
Nelia
September 25, 2019 at 10:07 am

So marijuana is a problem but the methadone clinic is what epidoral has what in in it. Come on the government can put crack in the black community’s but marijuana is an issue
Jimmy house
September 25, 2019 at 10:19 am

Absolutely insane nobody’s dying off marijuana people are dying off fitting all everyday
John Thomas
September 25, 2019 at 11:03 am

What ignorance, bigotry and a slap in the face to the citizens! – This is a wake-up call to the people of Jacksonville that these council members do NOT serve you! I’m so glad I don’t live in Jacksonville anymore. – I enjoy living where the PEOPLE decide on this issue, and freedom still lives! – Eject these ignorant, petty tyrants, ASAP!
John Thomas
September 25, 2019 at 11:06 am

What ignorant, petty tyrants! – I’m so glad I don’t live in Jacksonville anymore. I enjoy living where the CITIZENS get to decide issues like this. EJECT these corrupt, bigoted dictators!
Sarah
September 25, 2019 at 12:01 pm

That is why I’m moving to a state where it is legal. For people who need it to function, ie I need it to sleep, the ignorance by these old school people is astounding. Please continue to support meth heads.
Veronica
September 25, 2019 at 12:30 pm

First any excuse will do for them as long as its filling their pockets its ok thats how greed is with the city officials its ok as long as they’re able to get paid off of it. Secondly, speaking from someone who does smoke I do what i want when I want however i want with no drug charges involved and i’ ll keep doing what i want with no regards to the law the same way the law officials do what they want cause they think they’re above the law being in office until they end up like Corrina Brown getting caught for thinking they are above the law just like some of these JSO OFFICERS WHO BREAK THE LAW JUST AS MUCH AS ANY CRIMINAL THEY BUST ON THE STREETS.Crooked and unjust hypocrits. Secondly fetantyl kills weed doesnt. I have never come across any type of marijuana that was laced with anything. Main do we have stupid ignorant people in office or what?
Brendan Slick
September 25, 2019 at 4:29 pm

Last none of this distract any of you from the fact that the author of this article is a rapist who is generally obnoxious and foul.
- Veronica
  September 25, 2019 at 4:58 pm
  
  First of all Brenden you need to state facts of such allegations regarding your slanderous remarks because that will get you facing charges and a legal lawsuit placed against. Evidence please.
Ryan
September 25, 2019 at 5:59 pm

The city is going to lose money not arresting people for possession of marijuana. There’s more people that’s not in the inner City that smokes more than the people that are in the inner city..
IWishIWasYou
September 25, 2019 at 6:02 pm

Clearly the lobbyist in the Big Tobacco rooms did a number on the council.
Lollipops and jello shots
September 25, 2019 at 6:22 pm

So medical marijuana is okay for whitey to sell and make money, but racist crackers cant keep their jails filled if marijuana is decriminalized, karma is real and that’s why their community is suffering a deadly drug problem, we just wanna get high, eat, Netflix and chill!
- Veronica
  September 25, 2019 at 6:33 pm
  
  How racist is it of you to call people crackers? How would you feel if we walked around as white folks calling them blackies or other uses of stereo typical racist slurs? I swear blacks swear whites are more racist but blacks show how truly racist they are everyday! Cut with the racial slurs. And the only one sounding like a racist is you.
Polo
September 25, 2019 at 6:33 pm

How dare these elected officials defy the incumbents who put them there with their personal views! You speak FOR us, not TO us! If they won’t speak for us, then we should vote for the people who do!
- Veronica
  September 25, 2019 at 6:43 pm
  
  The constitutional rights is WE THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES.
  SECONDLY WE VOTED THEM IN OFFICE SO THEY THINK WE HAVE NO RIGHTS AND THATS WRONG… WE THE PEOPLE VOTED THEIR ASSES IN … LETS VOTE THEM OUT CAUSE ALL THEIR DOING IS GETTING RICH OFF OF US ANYWAY… Justice is only justice thats fought hard for and they want us to back down …no we fight harder.
Veronica
September 25, 2019 at 6:50 pm

I say we protest !
DisplacedCTYankee
September 26, 2019 at 6:23 am

Wow, A.G., those quotes from council members practically wrote this story for you. Those quotes would be hilarious if they weren’t a sad commentary on the ignorance of elected local government. Do they actually believe those things or were they just reading talking points from the liquor industry?

Gotta go now — I’m leaving to “drive across state lines to get high.” I’ll be careful to avoid those “fentanyl-laced” joints which, as everybody knows, are just stepping stones to aspirin.

P.S. “Stands athwart the devil’s lettuce” is one for the ages! A.G., was that you or did Bowman say that?
Liz
September 26, 2019 at 5:53 pm

Disgusting! How DARE they vote to continue wasting tax money on arresting idiot pot heads. Especially when my son’s kindergarten teacher is being forced to work without air conditioning. How can they claim to have the $25,000 per year to waste on each of those idiots, but not the money to fix the AC for those teachers.