Florida Legislation Attempts to Decriminalize All Illegal Drugs

There are many convictions concerning alleged drug abuse by a large group of people. These convictions have statistically proven to be unaccounted for in many circumstances. To minimize these convictions and further strengthen the legal system and judiciary system, a bill has been filed by Dotie Joseph. This bill is by the name of “Collateral Consequences of Conviction and Decriminalization of Cannabis and All Drugs Act.”  The gist of the statement was that the carrying and buying, and selling of one ounce of Marijuana should no longer be a criminal offense; instead, the liability should be reduced to a $50 fine, at most.

Attempts to Decriminalize All Illegal Drugs in Florida

In addition, people who have already been convicted of this act would be allowed to appeal their case if a year has passed since their case was filed. The bill also talks about an alternative to the excessive drug use problem. Instead of the person being sent to jail, they would be admitted to a rehabilitation center to recover from their substance abuse problems. Apart from that, if the usage is restricted to personal utilization of the substances, it is imperative that it not be treated as a criminal act but instead be replaced with a fine of a significant amount of money. This type of alteration to the legislation makes for a legal system that people would look towards in their time of need, i.e., drug abuse.

Furthermore, the legislative bill requires the justice system to work towards a remedy that favors the people at large. It has been known as the “war on drugs”. Compared to current times, which is more of a war on the people who are using these substances.

The bill also requires facilities that undertake this responsibility of providing rehabilitation to substance users to create and submit a report to the governor, which would, in turn, make it easier for the people who are living under these conditions. In this sense, officials will look into more information as to why people turn to drug use and its appeal in depth. This will help solve the problem at its very core, instead of resorting to aggression and violence whenever a drug user is encountered. This study was also seen to be beneficial for HIV patients who indulge in hard drugs that are often injected through the intravenous system. Most of the needles are not sterilized, which makes the entirety of the scenario quite dangerous for the doers.

This bill also includes mental preparation and remedy for the people involved in drug use. For example, these people will be warned of the consequences of their lifestyle due to drug use. This type of legislation is being broadened towards constitutional statute, which makes it simpler for people to access information and gives the legislation a chance to show that the public policy they determine is highly related to the good of society as a whole.

This sentiment is spreading in other states, including Pennsylvania, where the Lieutenant Governor is working towards filing and getting through with as many expungements and appeals as possible.

As Attorney William Umansky said, “It seems as if the whole country is trying its best to find the positive and get rid of the negative connotations when it comes to Marijuana.”