Monroe County, which includes the Florida Keys, could soon follow Miami-Dade's lead in allowing civil citations for possession of small amounts of marijuana.
The measure would allow police officers discretion on whether to arrest someone on a misdemeanor charge or give them a civil citation, which can result in a fine. The Miami-Dade ordinance, which was approved last month, applies to possession of 20 grams of pot or less.
"We're not legalizing pot," said Monroe County Commissioner George Neugent, who placed the item on the agenda for discussion and direction at the July 15 commission meeting in Key West. "And it has nothing to do with medical marijuana."
Neugent said he ran the proposal past Monroe Sheriff Rick Ramsay, and that he hopes it could save the county money in administration costs for the jail and court system.
"If it's a lot of pot that you plan on selling, the same rules would still apply," Neugent said. "But if you've got a joint in the ashtray, you'll probably get a civil citation without an arrest."
