Rick Staly, Usually Apolitical, Rips Recreational Marijuana Referendum

Flagler Sheriff Rick Staly expressed his disapproval for a Florida ballot measure to legalize recreational marijuana on Thursday, in an opinion essay published on Friday. If passed, Florida would join the 24 states that have already legalized recreational pot usage, taking effect for users 21 years old at least.

The piece was an uncommon foray into the political realm for a sheriff who most often avoids involvement in partisan races or issues beyond his own campaigns. Staly doesn’t endorse candidates and has even threatened legal action against those he’s felt have implied he approved of them. Still, the scope of Staly’s job would undoubtedly change if Amendment 3 is passed this November.

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Health Risks of Legalized Pot?

“We must consider the serious consequences Amendment 3 would impose on our community and what Amendment 3 backers, with their well funded commercials, aren’t telling you,” Staly wrote. “Marijuana today [is] not the marijuana of yester-year or the ‘hippy’ generation. Today the THC levels are at least 5-times stronger than just 15-years ago. The consumption of such potent products can lead to acute health issues, such as severe anxiety, psychosis and heart complications. Studies indicate a correlation between regular marijuana use and the onset of mental health disorders, including depression, anxiety and schizophrenia, particularly among adolescents and young adults.”

The Mayo Clinic shows a correlation between marijuana usage and depression, but stops short of alleging causation. The Journal of Translational Medicine has said that THC, a psychoactive element of cannabis, is anxiety-inducing, while the non-active component of CBD is shown to decrease anxiety. The National Institute of Health has shown a link between young men who severely overuse cannabis and schizophrenia.

Green for Green

Staly also contested that the revenue added to the state economy by a fully legalized marijuana industry would be offset by the costs of the negative effects of pot in society. “These economic benefits fail to account for the increased society costs,” he continued, “such as its impact to the healthcare system, car crashes resulting in injury and death, additional strain on child and youth services, social services, workplace productivity and the criminal justice system. These costs can far exceed the revenue generated from marijuana sales and will become a burden to the taxpayer.”

Advocates for legalization do claim a benefit to the economy, such as The Marijuana Policy Project advocates for using tax revenue to fund schools, behavioral health, libraries, and other feel-good initiatives. Others, such as two particular economists from the University of California argue that the economic benefits are overstated, albeit for different reasons than Staly’s.

A Cop’s Perspective

The ethos of Staly’s argument draws upon his career in law enforcement dating back a half-century as of next year, and how the relationship between law enforcement and marijuana has evolved in that span. “When I started my career, possession of any amount of marijuana was a felony,” he reminisces. “Illegal marijuana is easily detected by smell and through investigative means during a traffic stop that leads to a legal search. Often these traffic stops lead to the discovery of fentanyl, methamphetamines, cocaine, heroin and armed convicted felons, all because they were smoking an illicit joint while driving and committing a traffic violation. Amendment 3 would handcuff law enforcement in their ability to find and seize these drugs.”

To Staly’s point, readily evident marijuana usage in a traffic stop can indicate a crime – driving under the influence – and can thus stand as a probable cause for a warrantless search on the vehicle in question. The FCSO did not respond with data to verify or debunk Staly’s argument on the commonality of such incidents by the publishing of this article.

The Bigger Political Picture

The fate of Amendment 3 will rest on whether 60.0% of the Florida electorate vote to approve; a simple majority is sufficient for additions to the state constitution. The issue is certainly divisive over party lines – one poll shows 74% Florida Democrats support approval versus 37% of Republicans – but it’s also caused debate within the majority-holding Florida GOP.

Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump said he’ll be voting in favor of Amendment 3. “I believe it is time to end needless arrests and incarcerations of adults for small amounts of marijuana for personal use,” he said. This support puts him at odds once again with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who staunchly opposes the measure. “I’m not for it, I don’t think it’s good to do,” he said. “I don’t think we need to mess up the state.”