FLORIDA SHOULD DECRIMINALIZE MARIJUANA

Katy Perry was right. In California, the grass is always greener. And
as of last week, getting caught with an ounce or less of grass won't
get you jail time, it will only get you a $100 fine and a citation.
For those playing at home, that's about three days of parking
citations from UF and less than one citation for using a duplicate
decal.

Non-medical marijuana has officially been decriminalized in the state
of California, making it the 12th state in the union to do so. It also
puts California on a path to being on the right side of history.

Say what you want about marijuana as a whole, but decriminalization
for small possession is a logical move.

Prison overcrowding is a legitimate issue in the United States, and as
it currently stands I'd much rather let small-time users free than
convicted sex offenders and murderers. I feel much more safe around
those who are growing dazed and confused than those who have a history
of violent crime. It's just common sense.

Now, here's where it gets tricky. California, as of now, legally
allows medical marijuana (like 15 other states), and there's no
restriction on the amount as long as the user is registered through
his or her county. It now also allows non-medical marijuana to be
used, but only up to an ounce.

The federal government? Not so much.

In Gonzales v. Raich, the Supreme Court ruled that the federal
government under the commerce clause still had the right to arrest and
penalize marijuana users who were using the drug legally under their
respective state laws but were still violating federal law by
possessing it, regardless of whether or not it was an ounce or a pound.

Thankfully, a few months after Obama's inauguration, Attorney General
Eric Holder announced he'd be ordering the Drug Enforcement Agency to
stop seizures in states where marijuana was legal. That's a good move.
It saves time, resources and, frankly, who cares if a nonviolent
citizen took a few hits from his pipe? Smuggling cocaine from
Colombia? Bigger deal.

Taking a few hits of a non-addictive substance that has caused zero
reported deaths in comparison to tobacco or alcohol should not be the
focus of the Department of Justice.

It's time for a common-sense conversation about marijuana in the state
of Florida. California's Proposition 19 will be up for a vote in less
than a month. This bill would legalize and tax cannabis in the state,
which is further than any other state in the union has gone to
legalize marijuana.

Florida on the other hand? No legal medical marijuana, no
decriminalized possession of marijuana. Behind the times?
Understatement.

Unfortunately for everyday voters, there is one issue that goes
unnoticed: the people who profit the most from marijuana being
illegal. It's the drug dealers themselves.

As there is no set open-market value, dealers and growers can
capitalize and make huge profits. Legalizing and taxing marijuana
would provide the government tax revenue, eliminate the true black
market and implement safeguards like those used in helping to prevent
the sale of tobacco or alcohol to minors.

Just the other day at a Gainesville head shop, I saw a responsible
shop owner ask younger patrons their age and force a 16-year-old to
leave. Right now, middle schoolers are smoking marijuana because no
such safeguards exist. Obviously, the safeguards aren't universal, but
they do help more than they hurt.

Hopefully, Florida will one day be on the right side of history when
it comes to ending prohibition of marijuana.

Sean Quinn is a first-year political science student. His column
appears every Wednesday.