Bradford County Sheriff Gordon Smith has gained attention for publicly supporting marijuana legalization. He went a step further by cutting an ad urging voters to pass an amendment to decriminalize adult-use pot.
“No one has arrested more people for marijuana than me,” Smith says in a new ad for Smart & Safe Florida, adding, “It's time for me to stop ruining lives with marijuana.” The time has come,” he said.
In the 30-second ad, Smith argues that the current system is destroying the lives of too many people due to the consequences of marijuana use. Passage of this bill would mean “giving adults the freedom to use safe, regulated marijuana in their own homes without fear of being locked up.”
Smith previously spoke about his evolution with marijuana, especially since Florida legalized the use of prescription marijuana for health conditions. His brother, a military veteran, said his daily life has greatly improved since he was prescribed medical marijuana.
But he also talked about how he's seen lives destroyed by marijuana use, and how things are changing faster than laws are being passed.
“At one point, the state could take children if they were told that their mother or father was smoking drugs,” Smith previously told Florida Politics. “Arresting someone on a misdemeanor marijuana charge can result in them spending days to weeks in jail. Currently, they are typically arrested on their own recognizance or with civil fines and fines. You will be released.”
He also emphasized his desire to direct law enforcement resources toward more serious drug traffickers, a point he reiterated in the latest ads.
“Amendment 3 allows us to focus on serious crime, making our streets and neighborhoods safer,” Smith said.
The ad addresses criticism from critics of the amendment who argue that decriminalizing marijuana does not allow for regulation. Smith emphasizes that states can restrict where people can take the drug.
The latest ad follows Smart & Safe's pattern of appealing to conservative voters, arguing that Florida could create a highly regulated marijuana market.
Smith is one of several prominent law enforcement leaders who support the Third Amendment, although the Florida Sheriff's Association officially opposes it. Others include Gadsden County Sheriff Morris Young, former Duval County Sheriff Nat Glover and Miami Gardens Police Chief Delma Noel Pratt.
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