Palm Bay leaders are weighing whether to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana in certain cases, following Cocoa Beach's lead on the Space Coast.

Last month, the Cocoa Beach City Commission gave its police department discretion to issue civil citations — rather than misdemeanor charges — to suspects caught with 20 grams of marijuana or less. That policy also applies to possession of drug paraphernalia.

Palm Bay Councilman Kenny Johnson is spearheading his city's proposal. He contends that criminal records for misdemeanor cannabis possession can hinder potential college students applying for Pell Grants and adults attempting to secure housing or loans.

"It leads them to another chance at going back to jail, because they try to find another way out," Johnson said during Thursday's Palm Bay City Council meeting.

"If we have a chance as council to deter that from happening and make a change, I think we should be proactive in that regard,” Johnson said.

No decisions have been made on the topic. Council members voiced numerous questions, and they will discuss marijuana during a May workshop. No date has been set.

Per Florida statute, possession of 20 grams of marijuana or less and possession of drug paraphernalia are first-degree misdemeanors, punishable by up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine. For comparison's sake, a standard paper clip weighs about 0.5 gram.

According to the proposed Palm Bay ordinance, a police officer could issue a civil citation if the suspect was:

• Age 18 or older

• Not charged in conjunction with a felony, DUI, domestic violence, or violent crime

Palm Bay violators would pay $100 for a first offense, $150 for a second offense and $200 for a third offense. Suspects could receive a maximum of three civil citations.

Elsewhere in the Sunshine State, marijuana has been decriminalized in Alachua, Broward, Miami-Dade, Osceola, Palm Beach and Volusia counties, according to NORML. Cities include Cocoa Beach, Hallandale Beach, Key West, Miami Beach, Orlando, Port Richey, Tampa and West Palm Beach.

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Last year, Palm Bay police issued 380 misdemeanor charges for possessing less than 20 grams of marijuana, according to a memo distributed to council members. The police department's memo included the following background:

"An increasing number of groups around the country have pushed for decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana in recent years. These groups believe current policies disproportionately impact young people and minority communities. They believe these policies hurt families and compounds the social economic inequalities," the memo stated.

"When young people are arrested for possessing even tiny amounts of marijuana, it can have dire collateral consequences that affect their eligibility for public housing and student financial aid, employment opportunities, and child custody. The groups also believe communities are diverting vital law enforcement resources from serious public safety issues, including opioid addiction and violent crime," the memo stated.

Councilman Harry Santiago grew up in New York City housing projects, and he said he saw drugs destroy friends and family members. He said Palm Bay's proposed fine schedule is too low — and offenders should have to perform community service and undergo counseling.

“If you make the penalty too light, and you just make it a matter of just a fine, then … it’s going to be just looked at as a joke. It’s going to be looked at as nothing more than a slap on the wrist,” Santiago said.

Deputy Mayor Brian Anderson said he supports the intent of marijuana decriminalization, but he requested the workshop to hash out the details.

“I didn’t have a father. So I know it’s very easy to go down the wrong road. People gave me second chances. I mean, look where I’m sitting today,” Anderson said.

“If you apply yourself and do the right things, just because you were bad at one point in your life doesn’t mean you’re going to turn out bad forever,” he said.

Councilman Jeff Bailey requested additional Palm Bay marijuana crime statistics.

Also, council members did not determine how to earmark marijuana civil citation revenues — they joked that simply adding revenues to the general fund would create a "potheads filling potholes" program.

Neale is the South Brevard watchdog reporter at FLORIDA TODAY.

Contact Neale at 321-242-3638

or rneale@floridatoday.com.

Twitter: @RickNeale1

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