Jack Campbell worries legalizing weed will make it hard to find criminal dealers [View all]

Prosecutors may not crack down on marijuana possession like they did decades ago. But Leon State Attorney Jack Campbell said laws outlawing pot remain valuable to prosecutors dispensing justice.

The top prosecutor in Florida’s 2nd Judicial Circuit, Campbell has criticized a ballot measure that could legalize recreational weed in Florida. One of the most prominent Democrats in Florida opposed to Amendment 3, he said the criminal justice system can responsibly handle execution of Florida’s laws with discretion and should not lose a valuable tool.

“For many years now, certainly before medical marijuana, I think the state’s policies on marijuana have evolved, certainly, with this office,” Campbell said. “We’ve been doing diversion for many years, which results in a dismissal of charges. There’s been various forms of what’s often called civil-side, civil citation, but the prosecutorial discretion concerning marijuana has evolved over the last years.”

Prosecutors adjust constantly in applying the law as the Legislature makes changes. Campbell points to a change recently in application of laws around hemp and other related products. That has required differentiating between products like CBD and narcotics with higher THC levels.



https://floridapolitics.com/archives/703214-jack-campbell-worries-legalizing-weed-will-make-it-hard-to-find-criminal-dealers/