Following the approval of Amendment 2, decriminalizing the usage of cannabis for medicinal purposes in the state of Florida, marijuana campaigner and lawyer, Norm Kent has a message for South Florida cities.
Kent told Local 10 News that it is about time law enforcement and City commissions understand that cannabis is a medicine and not a menace.
Kent, who also serves as the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws vice president, advises that the six-month suspension on dispensaries could soon be illegal when Amendment 2 is enacted by the state on January 3.
According to Kent, these moratoriums will be a breach of his constitutional right to access marijuana for medical use.
According to Skip Campbell –the Coral Springs Mayor, the suspension in his city should not be interpreted as a fight-back against medicinal marijuana. He says that the moratorium is simply meant to give authorities time establish sensible zoning laws before the marijuana shops start operations in the city.
Campbell adds that they want to make sure that every Coral Springs-based shop meets all the expected requirements, for instance the shop should not be near a church or a school.
The Coral Springs mayor says that dispensaries will have to wait for six months for the state Legislature to issue its own regulations. On the other hand, Kent said that the cities are likely to be in the wrong if the state acts much sooner.
Kent emphasizes that the South Florida cities should take a look at the regulations being embraced by the other 20 states that have already legalized marijuana.
Campbell said that he will not hinder the enactment of Amendment 2 if the state beats his city to the punch.
Although Campbell approved the moratorium in his city, he has emphasized that he is not against the legalization of marijuana; he even claimed that he had voted for medical cannabis because it was in the best interest of the people. However, he said that the substance has to be controlled so that it is not available in every corner.
This is an interesting duel between the authorities and marijuana proponents and only time will tell on how things will shape up.
