Florida: Miami Beach Passes Marijuana Decriminalization Ordinance

MIAMI BEACH, FL — City commissioners in Miami Beach have unanimously passed an ordinance that will allow police to give $100 citations to people caught possessing small amounts of marijuana instead of arresting them and sending them to jail.

The 5-0 vote Wednesday comes just a week after county commissioners in Miami-Dade County approved a similar proposal.  Both proposals give police the option of issuing a $100 civil citation to those caught possessing up to 20 grams of marijuana.

As part of Miami-Dade County, police in Miami Beach could have issued citations instead of arresting offenders under the county proposal. But by enacting the city-wide ordinance, fines collected from citations issued by Miami Beach Police will go to the city instead of the county.

Under Florida law,…