JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — On Saturday Jacksonville city council member Garett Dennis spoke to people in the community about decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana.
The council member introduced the bill back in May that would decriminalize small amounts of marijuana in Duval County.
Nearly 20 people spent their made their way to South Mandarin Library but it wasn’t to read it was to talk about weed.
62-year-old Ramiro Palma told us he’s a firm supporter of the bill.
Jacksonville Council member Garrett Dennis is holding the first of 4 meetings at the South Mandarin Library to discuss with the public his bill to decriminalizes small amounts of marijuana @ActionNewsJax @WOKVNews pic.twitter.com/N5Eq8b3ujz
— Alicia Tarancon (@AliciaANJax) July 27, 2019
“Marijuana has not had an ill-effect on the user or anyone around the user or there’s been a violent act of nature commit against someone,” said Palma.
Council member Dennis gave everyone a summary of the bill who attended the meeting.
He wanted to let people know this bill would give JSO another option instead of just arresting someone for having a small amount of marijuana.
“Do we put them in jail which is costing Duval County millions of dollars just to process, its takes an officer off the streets for 4 to 5 hours just to process, to arrest a person with marijuana,” Council member Dennis said.
Instead people who are caught with fewer than 20 grams would be given a 100 dollar fine or 10 hours of community service.
Right now it's a first-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
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Karen Olson is worried that the bill will pass and she spoke up in front of the crowd.
“I’m just a citizen and I have grandchildren and I want to see them to grow up healthy. You know the lady said it didn’t hurt her brain cells, how do you know when your brain cells are dead you don’t know,” Karen Olson, who opposes the bill, said.
Sheriff Mike Williams told Action News Jax back in May that he doesn’t support this bill either.
Council member Dennis told me he had a long conversation with sheriff Williams last night and he still opposes it.
Saturday’s meeting was the first of four meetings hosted by councilmember Dennis.
The next discussion on Monday on 6 p.m. at the Bennie Furlong Senior Center in Jacksonville Beach.
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