Floridians Want Recreational Marijuana Use Legalized
Despite falling just short of the 60% threshold last November, the strong majority of Floridians have supported medical marijuana for some time. But the tide is turning even further in that a majority of Floridians now support decriminalizing the recreational use of marijuana.
As our Delray Beach and Fort Lauderdale drug crime defense lawyers at Leifert & Leifert know, states across the country are starting to adopt more lenient marijuana laws. While many have approved medical marijuana, some have even made the recreational use of cannibals legal.
Florida may be the next state to do so with more than half of the state’s voters supporting legalization. While it may not meet the standard for a successful ballot initiative, that clear majority has the potential to influence state legislators and this — or the next — governor.
A new Quinnipiac University Poll released on Monday shows that a whopping 84% of Floridians are in favor of legalizing marijuana for medical purposes, which may be a surprise given that the state’s voters this past November couldn’t reach the 60% “yes” benchmark required for the ballot initiative to pass (perhaps because those who support medical marijuana weren’t as motivated to go out and vote as those who oppose it). Nevertheless, our Delray Beach and Fort Lauderdale drug crime defense lawyers know it’s quite possible that if the initiative were to make it onto the ballot next time, it would pass.
All of that said, what is most encouraging to many people about the poll is that it shows that 55% of Floridians are in favor of legalizing marijuana for recreational use. As our Delray Beach and Fort Lauderdale drug crime defense lawyers know, Florida is an interesting state. While you might think that the above-mentioned statistic means that 55% of the population wants marijuana legalized for recreational purposes so that they can get high, you’d be wrong. The truth is that it appears residents of the Sunshine State are beginning to recognize that laws banning marijuana aren’t doing any good; while marijuana is safer than a great many legal drugs out there, enforcement of marijuana laws is tying up out court system and overpopulating our already crowded prisons.
The generalized thinking about marijuana (as opposed to selfish thinking about legalizing the drug) is evidenced by the fact that just 17% of Florida voters said they’d likely use marijuana, while an overwhelming 81% said they wouldn’t. To be clear: Floridians don’t want unregulated, legalized marijuana in the hands of everyone in whatever quantity they choose. The poll is clear in that it says 55% of Floridians support allowing “adults to legally possess small amounts of marijuana for personal use.”
If you have any questions about this criminal defense issue of if you’ve been arrested for or charged with a drug crime in Palm Beach, Broward or Miami-Dade County, please contact our drug crime defense lawyers at Leifert & Leifert by calling 1-888-5-DEFEND (1-888-533-3363) to schedule a free consultation. We look forward to assisting you.
