Pinellas sheriff, state attorney raise bar for pot arrests

The bar just got higher for deputies to make marijuana arrests in Pinellas County.

Pinellas Sheriff Bob Gualtieri and Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney Bernie McCabe on Wednesday issued a memo cautioning deputies about making pot arrests in light of a new law legalizing a type of cannabis called hemp.

While the memo only applies to the county’s 820 or so deputies, some Pinellas County police departments have also raised the standards for their officers to make marijuana arrests since the state law went into effect July 1. Wednesday’s memo marks the first time the county’s top prosecutor has issued an official stance on which marijuana cases his office is willing to pursue.