Like Tampa and Volusia County, the central Florida city of Orlando could be decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana in the near future.
The Orlando City Council will consider the new ordinance at next week’s meeting.Under the new ordinance, marijuana possession of 20 grams or less would be a city code violation, and the same would go for the possession of drug paraphernalia used to administer marijuana. This would allow police officers to issue $50 citations to first-time offenders and $100 citations to second-time offenders, rather than making arrests. Any subsequent violations would require a court appearance.
Supporting the potential ordinance is Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer.
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“I think, in this day and age, giving somebody a second chance … without establishing a criminal record helps improve their opportunities in the future,” Buddy Dyer tells the Orlando Sentinel.
Currently, if caught with marijuana, it could potentially mean spending up to a year in jail, receiving a $1,000 fine, and receiving a permanent criminal record.
However, there are always exceptions to every rule. The ordinance would not apply to convicted drug dealers.To read the proposed measure, click here.
If approved, the new marijuana ordinance would take effect May 9th.
