REEFER MADNESS

Petition Backers Didn't Make Their Case

If you believe Tallahasseans for Practical Law Enforcement, City Hall
essentially conspired against them to block their proposed charter
amendment from getting on the November ballot.

The amendment would have made personal marijuana use among adults the
lowest enforcement priority of the Tallahassee Police Department. Even
if the city did jump through hoops to keep the initiative off
municipal voters' ballots, its backers had their day in court last
week. They failed there, too. Circuit Judge Nikki Clark ruled that the
initiative conflicted with state law.

Attorneys can argue the technicalities. But since this group includes
"practical" in its moniker we have to ask: What's so pragmatic about a
solution in search of a problem?

If there were persuasive evidence suggesting that TPD spends a
disproportionate, inappropriate percentage of its resources enforcing
state laws on personal marijuana use, Tallahasseans for Practical Law
Enforcement would have a better case to make. But there isn't.

In general, amendments to a charter or constitution should be a last
resort to legislative failure to address an urgent problem. In this
instance, neither is the case