TALLAHASSEE, FL – The Florida Police Chiefs Association (FPCA) today urged Floridians to rethink their support of the proposed amendment to legalize marijuana in Florida, calling the effort a potentially dangerous threat to families and communities.
“Regardless of any state laws, recreational marijuana use is still illegal on the federal level because of its high potential for abuse and the fact that there is no currently accepted national standard for use as a medical treatment,” said Chief Frank Kitzerow, President of the FPCA. “It’s important to understand that expanding the use of marijuana for medical purposes is not a safer way to use the drug.”
Studies show that marijuana use and criminal involvement – other than drug use – are highly related. Medical marijuana is often sold in storefront dispensaries; in other states, the storefront dispensaries have become magnets for crime and increased law enforcement costs. According to statistics provided by the city’s Department of Safety, Denver recorded 7,000 reported crimes within 1,000 feet of dispensaries in the first six months of both 2012 and 2013.