Jacksonville Voters: Stop Possession of Cannabis Being a Jailable Offense. Let the Sworn Officers, that Protect and Serve Us, Focus on the Unfortunate Violent Offenses, that Far Too Often, Kill Our Children, Friends, Family, and Neighbors Indiscriminately.

Garrett Dennis, who represents Jacksonville’s District 9, said that his constituents have been calling for reform of the city’s cannabis policy to help avoid the collateral damage inherent in criminal convictions for even minor offenses.

"Our officers’ focus should be on violent crimes, and although illegal, possessing 20 grams or less of marijuana should not be life-altering,” said Dennis. “Civil citations would be the first step in minimizing arrests, but still holding the individual accountable."

Furthermore:

"During my reelection campaign, I spoke to many citizens whose lives were thrown into a downward spiral due to possessing minimal amounts of marijuana,” he said. ” Families were in debt because of legal issues, loss of employment or the inability to secure gainful employment; based on these misdemeanor arrests."

Locally, as Reported by the "Jacksonville Daily Record" Article by Max Marbut, Published May 16th, 2019: "The Marbut Report: Ordinance would reduce marijuana penalties"

"Council Member Dennis Garrett [sic] said allowing civil citations for the offense could lead to apprehension and prosecution of people who are suspected of committing more serious crimes.

The current penalty “contributes to overcrowding in the jail and backlog in the court system," Dennis Garrett [sic] said.

According to the State Attorney’s Office, between Jan. 1, 2018, and May 10, 2019, 843 cases were opened in which possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana was the primary charge."

Read Full Article.

Nationally, as Reported by the "Markets Insider" Article by Pat Evans, Published May 7th, 2019: "The marijuana industry is booming in the United States."

"From the $52 billion in sales the industry posted to the 76% increase in cannabis jobs this year, there are plenty of statistics to show marijuana's startling contributions to the US economy.

Marijuana initiatives have swept through state legislatures in recent years. Recreational marijuana use is legal in 10 US states, while medicinal marijuana is legal in 33. Illinois became the most recent state to weigh the topic when Gov. JB Pritzker introduced a bill to legalize the drug on Saturday. Now, the industry is showing no signs of slowing down."

Read Full Article Here.

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*Community Meetings Dates and Locations to be Announced Soon*

Full Credit to Original Reporting by Max Marbut and Pat Evans Respectively.