Advocates are pushing back against the head of Florida’s correctional department after he claimed that passing a marijuana legalization initiative at the ballot this November would actually “increase” the state’s prison population—a paradoxical assertion that’s being promoted by top staff of Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).
In an op-ed published in The Tampa Bay Times on Monday, Florida Department of Corrections Secretary Ricky Dixon said the debate over the cannabis measure, Amendment 3, has been “marked by significant misinformation regarding Florida’s prison system.”
“Various false claims have emerged suggesting that many inmates are serving time solely for low-level marijuana offenses,” he said. “These assertions are untrue, and in some cases, intentionally disingenuous.”
Dixon said there are currently no people imprisoned over simple possession of under 20 grams alone, and fewer than 40 who are serving time for possessing larger quantities of cannabis, with enhanced penalties connected to other offenses such as battery.
He also claimed that “Florida state law does not permit a misdemeanor charge of marijuana possession of 20 grams or less alone to lead to incarceration in a state prison.”
It’s unclear if he’s referring to an administrative policy, as state statute says possession up to 20 grams of
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