Miami State Senator files bill to legalize recreational marijuana
Its been a tough sell for Florida citizens convincing them that legalizing medical medical marijuana is a good idea, let alone recreational marijuana. Its a bit…
The legalization of recreational marijuana has not happend in Florida yet. (Shutterstock)
Its been a tough sell for Florida citizens convincing them that legalizing medical medical marijuana is a good idea, let alone recreational marijuana.
Its a bit easier to convince them that the non-smokable kind cant be too harmful if theyre giving it to little kids with seizures or cancer patients. But recreational pot users are still hoping to take the country by storm and finally legalize their favorite plant.
There’s at least one Democrat in the Miami area who doesnt care what youre using the weed for: you should be allowed to have it.
SEE ALSO: Spark up to stay warm! Alaska becomes the third state to legalize marijuana
Sen. Dwight Bullard, a Democrat representing Cutler Bay and current chair of the Miami-Dade Democratic Party, introduced SB 1176 this week. The bill would effectively legalize marijuana, even for recreational use, in Florida, according to the Miami New Times.
A worker cultivates a special strain of medical marijuana known as Charlotte’s Web inside a greenhouse, in a remote spot in the mountains west of Colorado Springs, Colo. Charlotte’s Web is a proprietary strain of marijuana in which the psychoactive THC has largely been bred out, and the other cannabinoid compounds thought to be medically useful accentuated. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)
The bill goes very in-depth. It would start by changing the name of the Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
Then it would set up a system to tax marijuana sales and about 5% of collected taxes would be used for studies on marijuana’s safety and benefits.
The bill would allow anyone 21 and over to have up to six marijuana plants in their home. They would be allowed to use, possess, transport or gift up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana or 6 seedlings to another adult.
Marijuana dispensaries could be in the near future for Florida residents. (Shutterstock)
It also allows for the opening of marijuana growing facilities and retail stores. Though the bill sets limits on how many stores could open based on the size of the local population, and allows municipalities to vote to ban marijuana stores from opening within their borders, according to the Miami New Times.
Bullard spoke about the possibility of recreational marijuana legalization with New Times last August.
“Marijuana, whether medical or recreational, could be another way of generating revenue in Florida,” the Senator said. “It has a potential for real positive economic impact with real small business growth.”
While recreational marijuana gets a bad rap, medical marijuana has vast uses such as treating pain or even epilepsy.(AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
SEE ALSO: Uruguay: marijuana could cost more for pain relief than for pleasure
Sound too good to be true? Unfortunately it is very unlikely that the bill will be heard in committee, let alone passed.
However, if Florida ever manages to change its political view on marijuana legalization, Bullard already has the bill written and ready to go.
