A Florida lawyer is on a mission to legalize marijuana for recreational use by next year, reports Borward Palm Beach New Times.
Image Credit: Alejandro Forero Cuero (Flickr)
Michael Minardi says “We’re going to use science, and we’re going to use stats,” when asked how he plans to do this after the ballot measure to legalize marijuana for medical purposes didn’t pass in the state in 2014.
In March of this year, Minardi won a landmark case defending Jesse Teplicki, on the grounds that he uses Marijuana to treat his severe anorexia.
The “Florida Cannabis Act” proposes legalizing marijuana and regulating it the same way as the alcohol industry. It would allow individuals over 21 to buy and possess up to an ounce of marijuana and, providing they have a license, grow up to six plants at home.
Minardi has teamed up with fellow lawyer Bill Wohlsifer and marijuana activist Karen Goldstein to form Sensible Florida and an associated group, Regulate Florida. They have developed a proposed amendment to the state constitution that will legalize and regulate recreational marijuana.
They argue that the criminalizing the drug has only led to a very expensive and ineffective war on drugs.
See the full story here.
Marijuana has been a great topic of debate in recent years, with strong arguments for both the decriminalization of using the drug, and for maintaining its illegal status. There have been numerous legislation changes in the United States regarding its use in varying degrees. The use of medical marijuana is becoming increasingly accepted.
Marijuana is illegal in Thailand, despite it being a common feature in many counter-culture and tourist hotspots in Thailand and greater South-East Asia.
As Thai criminal lawyer Phiriya Weerasawadi says, “just because a destination is well-known for marijuana does not mean you won’t get arrested for using. The majority of drug arrest cases come from tourist areas such as Khao San Road and Koh Phangan”.
For more information, you may be interested in referring to Thailand’s Narcotic Act, and learning about the history of cannabis use in Thailand and the laws that surround it.
Planning a trip to Thailand and unsure of the laws and customs? Be sure to read ‘Thailand Tourist Information: A Guide to Laws in Thailand.’
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