The city of Key West is joining the ranks of South Florida municipalities where possession of small amounts of marijuana is treated as a civil code violation, not a criminal act.
On Tuesday, the city commission unanimously approved an ordinance that would allow police officers discretion to cite people with less than 20 grams of marijuana, rather than charge them with a misdemeanor. The citation would carry a $100 fine.
The ordinance requires a second approval from the commission before it takes effect. Commissioners are still working out how to collect the fines.
Key West is following the lead of Miami-Dade County and the city of Miami Beach. In July, the Monroe County Commission directed its attorney to draft similar rules.
Commissioners said they hope the option will allow police officers to focus on more serious crimes. And they hope it keeps some people out of the court system.
"I know some young people that have had their life's direction changed because of one incident that they did when they were in their early 20s," said Commissioner Clayton Lopez. "That subsequent arrest and then going through the system prevented them from being able to move on in a positive direction for the rest of their life. I think it's time for that process to end."
