Fla.: Gov. Crist signs bad trafficking bill into law
Exactly 2.5 hours after our alert went out yesterday and members revived their outreach to Gov. Crist in opposition to HB173/SB390, he signed the legislation into law.
This new law creates the ridiculous judicial presumption that anyone with 25 marijuana plants is a drug dealer.
Florida already had the dubious honor of having the nation's harshest marijuana possession laws - less than 20 grams can land you in jail for a year and cost you $1,000. Even worse, possession of more than 20 grams is a felony. This new law puts Florida even further ahead of the draconian pack as the Sunshine State can now claim a trafficking standard 4 times as tough as the federal government's!
The 2007 midyear report from the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics lists Florida as having the third largest prison population in the nation with 71,319 citizens behind bars. Only Texas and California have more.
Why Florida lawmakers want to put even more citizens behind bars is beyond reason.
If you have not already, please send Gov. Crist an e-mail letting him know that this new law is a step backwards for Florida and will punish many people who have never sold a single gram of marijuana as if they were drug dealers. You can also call Gov. Crist's office at (850) 488-7146 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to let him know just how disappointed you are that he gave this new law his blessing by signing it yesterday.
Also, be sure that you have e-mailed your legislators and let them know that this new law is a huge mistake that will do more harm than good in the long run.
Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project. Please pass this alert on to friends and family who want to see sensible marijuana policies in Florida. | 
