The holiday season is all about food, family, friends, and the act of giving.
Oh and apparently, handing out weed to random strangers. Although, one could probably just put that under the umbrella of “giving.”
And give is exactly what 67-year-old Richie Ellis Spurrier did. The St. Petersburg resident was caught blessing random strangers with marijuana over the weekend. While that warms our heart here at Green Rush Daily, police were not as enthralled with the random act of “kindness.”
A Green Christmas
Spurrier was arrested on Saturday after police found Spurrier handing out cannabis flower like it was candy. Or candy canes, for that matter.
When asked, the Florida man (we’ve heard that one before) said he was handing out the green because “it was Christmas.” While we certainly can’t knock the holiday spirit, Christmas isn’t until Wednesday, so Spurrier might have jumped the gun on that one just a bit.
It’s highly unlikely that defense would have mattered, regardless.
The St. Petersburg resident had a total of 45 grams of him when he was arrested around 11 PM Saturday night. He was charged with possession of marijuana with intent to sell (although no marijuana, allegedly, was actually sold. But you get the point).
Ironically, Spurrier’s cane was also found to possess a hidden sword in it, so there’s that. It’s like the Florida man gift that keeps on giving.
While medicinal marijuana is permitted in the state of Florida, recreational cannabis has yet to make its legal rounds. Some cities and counties, including Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, Orlando, Tampa, and Broward county, have decriminalized small amounts of cannabis, St. Petersburg has yet to take similar action. And even if they did, it’s likely that 45 grams would exceed the civil limit. The aforementioned jurisdictions have decriminalized cannabis up to 20 grams—the usual standard for such provisions.
The good news for Floridians who, understandably, would like to have a “green Christmas” of their own, two initiatives have been introduced by advocacy groups to legalize recreational marijuana in the state of Florida.
One group, Regulate Florida, has introduced a measure that would allow the recreational sale of marijuana, as well as adults 21 and over to grow the product themselves. Another group, Make it Legal Florida, calls for an amendment of the Florida State Constitution that would effectively allow adults to consume recreational marijuana. This measure would require distribution to go through channels that have already been established under the state’s current medical marijuana program. Both initiatives need 766,200 signatures to be placed on the ballot.
“We are making it easier than ever for Florida voters to make their voices heard,” chairman of Make It Legal Florida Nick Hansen told the South Florida Sun Sentinel back in October. “Pre-qualified Florida voters will receive a personalized mail piece with their name and address already printed on the form so all they have to do is sign, date and return.”