Jack Campbell fears legalizing weed will make it harder to find criminal dealers

Prosecutors must not take harsh measures on marijuana possession, like they did decades ago. But Leon prosecutor Jack Campbell Said laws banning marijuana remain valuable to prosecutors practicing justice.

Campbell, the top prosecutor in Florida’s 2nd Judicial District, has criticized a ballot measure that could lead to that Legalize recreational weed in Florida. As one of Florida’s most prominent Democrats opposing Amendment 3, he said the criminal justice system can be responsible and discreet in implementing Florida’s laws and should not lose a valuable tool.

“I think the state’s policy on marijuana has evolved for many years, certainly before medical marijuana, with this office,” Campbell said. “We have been conducting diversionary tactics for many years, resulting in charges being dismissed. There have been various forms of what is often referred to as a civil subpoena, but prosecutorial discretion regarding marijuana has evolved in recent years.”

Prosecutors continually adapt how they apply the law as lawmakers make changes. Campbell points to a recent change in the application of laws surrounding hemp and other related products. This required a distinction between products such as CBD and narcotics with higher THC levels.

He recognizes that the Approval of medical marijuana A constitutional change in 2016 marked a significant change in policy. But he said societal attitudes toward cannabis use have changed over time, and so has the criminal justice system’s treatment of the substance.

“You probably had the peak of the ‘Say No to Drugs’ campaign in the ’70s and ’80s, and as cannabis became more popular in society, we kind of evolved around other drugs,” he said. “However, there are many marijuana-related crimes that we see as a real problem.”

While even some Law enforcement voices like the sheriff of Bradford County Curtis Smith Although marijuana is not linked to as many crimes as legal alcohol and opioids, Campbell sees a connection between cannabis and other violent crimes. He sees murders, manslaughters, rapes and robberies all stemming from drug use, and marijuana remains by far the most commonly sold and transported illegal drug in his district.

Specifically, he represents a judicial district that includes both Tallahassee, the state capital and home to two majority state universities, and Gadsden County, where medical marijuana growers have become an important part of the agricultural economy.

He still sees a black market for marijuana, much of which contains life-threatening drugs like fentanyl. The authorities also see numerous traffic offenses in which the drivers do not have alcohol in their possession, but marijuana is found in the cars.

“I regularly see violent crimes related to marijuana use,” Campbell said.

Additionally, he is cautious about navigating a world focused on legal marijuana, which has made life difficult for prosecutors in other states. More than a century after Lifting the alcohol banTraffic police officers are all equipped with breathalyzers and authorities can easily test blood alcohol levels.

Amendment 3 would not legalize high weed driving, but there remain few tools for law enforcement to easily determine the level of intoxication from smoked substances. Most in-system THC tests show traces of the drug dating back a month, long after a user experiences the effects of smoking marijuana.

He also notes that the marijuana strains available on the market today continue to be increasingly potent.

“It’s the difference between drinking beer and drinking whole grain alcohol. This is a whole different scale,” Campbell said.

Of course, many legalization advocates see an uncontrolled black market run by criminals as an argument for decriminalizing—and regulating—recreational weed. But Campbell said it was naive to think that allowing legal pharmacies to sell products would stop street vendors from buying their own goods.

“Just like we did 100 years ago, you didn’t immediately put all the smugglers out of business,” Campbell said. “My drug dealers are not going away. They’re not going to say, “Okay, now that you’ve legalized weed, I’m going to get a good, hard-working job.” My people are going to go and sell to people who can’t get it legally, people under 18 or 21 .”

Amendment 3 would allow adults to possess up to 3 ounces of marijuana, but only to those 21 and older. Campbell worries that a youth market will still rely on criminal activity, customers who lack money or the ability to distinguish between safe and unsafe products.

And it will be harder to track down dealers. Currently, Campbell said, police can take action against dealers who only rely on “simple smell.”

“Once we legalize it, it eliminates my ability to figure out what’s going on because it’s legal, and I can’t sit there and do the search and seizure,” Campbell said, “and I can’t sit there. “and determine whether it’s legal or illegal weed, and I think that’s the direction we’re going to move in.”

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