The city of Tampa made a positive movement in terms of dealing with individuals that will be caught with marijuana possession. The city mayor decided to impose a fine on individuals who will be convicted of marijuana possession instead of putting him/her to jail.
Mayor Bob Buckhorn signed an ordinance which gives the police the power to fine people caught with marijuana possession instead of placing them in jail, Tampa Bay Times reported. The new law suggests that if the person was caught with marijuana possession within the legal limit, $75 will be charged for the first offense. The second offense would then be fined $300, and the fourth would be for $450.
"Incarcerating people, particularly young people, for a very small amount of marijuana, absolutely alters their career path for the rest of their life," Mayor Buckhorn stated. "Once they get into that prison system, they are forever scarred; they forever have a prison record."
The law that was created is only limited to marijuana possession. If the individual was caught with other offenses along with marijuana possession, there's a huge possibility that the individual might end up in jail.
The Lancet then added that the government worldwide would take a stand in decriminalizing marijuana. 22 medical experts gathered as they aimed to decriminalize all "nonviolent drug use and possession." Their report will be presented during the UN General Assembly Session next month. As they would progress with the presentation they would also cover topics on how to tackle drug problems worldwide.
"The goal of prohibiting all use, possession, production, and trafficking of illicit drugs is the basis of many of our national drug laws, but these policies are based on ideas about drug use and drug dependence that are not scientifically grounded," Chris Beyrer of John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health stated as per The Washington Post.
