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Crist: I've smoked marijuana, but drug laws are fine
3/15/08|The Northwest Florida Daily News| The Associated Press

Despite a growing prison population and a shrinking budget, Gov. Charlie Crist said he doesn't support changing Florida's drug laws.

State officials estimate Florida's prisons will swell to 100,000 inmates by year's end, with about 20 percent serving sentences for nonviolent drug offenses. Each prisoner costs more than $19,000 a year to incarcerate, and at the current pace, Florida will have to build two prisons a year through 2013 to keep up.

Some lawmakers are questioning the state's strategy toward nonviolent drug offenders, who have been convicted of crimes ranging from possession to drug trafficking. But they're not likely to gain Crist's support, who acknowledges he smoked marijuana when he was younger.

"I feel that our laws are good in Florida. They were thoughtfully put in place. And I know there is a budget crunch. But I don't want to sacrifice public safety,'' Crist said.

State Sen. Victor Crist — no relation to the governor — said the state's drug laws are based on outdated thinking.

"That's the old way; throw a drug addict in jail. But now we know treatment works, it's better and it's cheaper,'' said Victor Crist, R-Tampa. "If you're a violent criminal, you belong in a cell. If you're a drug addict, you belong in a rehab program.''

The governor said his proposed budget includes $28 million for substance abuse treatment and that he thinks the state's drug laws need "balance.''

No lawmaker has filed a bill seeking to decriminalize drug use. But both legislative chambers are considering measures that would release some inmates early or into work-release programs, and establish a commission to review mandatory-minimum sentencing.

Gov. Crist acknowledged in an interview with The Miami Herald that he smoked marijuana recreationally long before going into public life. But he said he's not inclined to seek any changes to the state's drug laws

"I've said many times, people make mistakes,'' the governor said. "And what I support about the law is the deterrent effect.''

 

Vicki

Just another reason why I hate living in Florida.

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Unregistered

gov. christ did a good thing ... some senators were trying to get a bill passed that would've had minimum mandatory sentences, and lowering the amount of plants down to 25 or so. there are some stiff laws in florida but stoping them from trying to throw more people in jail so they can recieve more government money is a good thing.. he did say he thinks the laws are good so it doesn't seem like he's going to lessen the laws either....

Majorguns420

20% @ 20k =400k+ a year for non violent drug offences, not to mention the tax money that the 20k people would have put back into the society. Face it drug dealers are what make the economey work. They can't put there money too much in savings so they spend alot!
Lots of tax money they could have put back in, if they weren't convicted fellons and not able to get a j-o-b, because they got caught doing exactly what the govoner said he did when he was younger? Yeah right, all those people smoke in the back rooms when there wifes arn't around. They would send you to jail for what they have done, face it if you've smoke pot acoulple times you had to buy it some where, that was "BAD", and then the guy you got it from, yep thats a BAD man too! On up the line, but if your rich enough and party in Miami down in the clubs, where the real drugs are your ok, cause we are scared of your lawyer, and the press. Plus if we treated you like we do normal people, your like on Strike 250, and there still letting you play ball why others are in jail for smokeing pot and not being able to take a Piss Test and pass because it stays in you for so long?
Guns420

Buzzby

Huh? 20,000 (20% of 100,000) inmates at $19,000/yr. is $380 million, not $400 thousand.

When did simple possession become a felony? That's all the governor admitted to.

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