Pointing to issues such as traffic safety, the Florida Sheriffs Association and the Florida Police Chiefs Association have announced opposition to a proposed state constitutional amendment that would allow the use of recreational marijuana.
The sheriffs association said its members approved a resolution opposing the initiative during a meeting last week, CBS reports.
"The well-being and health of the citizens of Florida are threatened through the legalization and normalization of recreational marijuana," Sheriffs Association President Bill Prummell, the Charlotte County sheriff, said in a prepared statement. "Our priority is the safety and security of our communities, and the data clearly shows that legalization leads to increased public health issues, road safety concerns, and a rise in youth marijuana use. We must take a stand to protect our citizens, especially our youth, from the negative impacts of marijuana."
Similarly, Florida Police Chiefs Association President Charles Vazquez, chief of the Tampa International Airport Police Department, issued a statement that said based on "the experience of other states, we know that law enforcement resources, as well as public health and other governmental services, will be taxed with new call volume due to the nature of marijuana impairment and its relationship to criminality, including victimization, and mental health."
Smart & Safe Florida, a political committee leading efforts to pass the proposed constitutional amendment, disputes arguments that allowing the recreational use of marijuana would lead to increased crime and issues such as traffic safety problems.
