cannabisnews.com: Bills To Legalize MMJ Introduced in Florida
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Bills To Legalize MMJ Introduced in Florida
Posted by CN Staff on February 11, 2014 at 04:46:20 PT
By Bill Cotterell
Source: Reuters
Reuters -- Florida state legislators introduced identical bills on Monday to legalize medical marijuana treatment in the 2014 legislative session, in a bid to win approval before a constitutional amendment on the issue comes up for a public vote in November.Senators Jeff Clemens and Joe Saunders, both Democrats, brought numerous patients and their family members to the unveiling of their bill, which would effectively implement by statute the constitutional amendment that is on the November ballot.
"This bill puts patients before politics," said Cathy Jordan of Parrish, president of the Florida Cannabis Action Network, who has lived 28 years with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig Disease.Jordan, whose speech is slurred by her illness, sat in her wheelchair next to her husband, Robert, who read her statement at a news conference in front of the Florida Senate.The amendment, and the newly introduced legislation, would specify tight state regulation for doctors to prescribe marijuana for treatment of conditions like cancer, HIV/AIDS, ALS and other severe afflictions.Identically worded bills were introduced in both houses of the state legislature on Monday, offering greater ease of passage.The session starting March 4 will mark the fourth year such a bill has been introduced. Republican legislative leaders, along with Governor Rick Scott and Attorney General Pam Bondi, vigorously oppose the constitutional amendment.The Florida Supreme Court approved the ballot language on the amendment, though, and it will become law if 60 percent of the voters approve it next November.Polls show the ballot proposal has a strong chance of success. If the amendment passes, Saunders said the 2015 Legislature will have to pass implementing legislation specifying "how will we grow it, how will people who need it get access to it and how will those who are seeking to abuse it receive consequences?While Republican leaders oppose the medical marijuana amendment, a separate bill allowing use of a non-euphoric marijuana extract known as "Charlotte's Web" is also making progress in the Florida House. The derivative is drawn from a portion of the marijuana plant that does not get users high, but has shown results in treating seizures.The constitutional amendment is seen as a driver for Democratic voter turnout at the polls in November. The petition campaign that put it on the ballot was bankrolled by Orlando attorney John Morgan, a close ally of former Governor Charlie Crist, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for another term as governor.Crist supports the amendment and political observers expect the referendum will draw more young and minority voters, who tend to vote Democratic.Reporting by David Adams; Editing by Leslie Adler Source: Reuters (Wire)Author: Bill CotterellPublished: February 10, 2014Copyright: 2014 Thomson ReutersCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml
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Comment #4 posted by The GCW on February 11, 2014 at 22:55:55 PT
This bill, being narrower than citizen's initiativ
We may start seeing some new patterns.Florida is poised to pass a citizens initiative at the ballot. 60% is likely. Ok so the IGNOIDS, or shall I say republicans in this case, see only one way out: make their own more restrictive proposal.If done (somewhat) properly, when state leaders take the initiative to put up proposals, they can manage them favorably to a broader group. When citizen initiatives come up they end up dealing with more liberal results.They, then, are not thinking of the interest of sick citizens but rather their own prohibitionist interests. And as screwed up as that is, it's better than what they did before.Does that make sense? -0-We may see a similar pattern elsewhere, like California and other states, which face a strong likelihood of passing cannabis laws for sick citizens or complete legalization. In California's example, their medical cannabis laws seem to have many issues that haven't been worked out in over a decade. The risk of a citizens initiative having problems when it passes for full legalization exists and so the state may feel as though there could be a great benefit to making it's own initiative, to combat an almost for sure thing, otherwise. Because California IS going to legalize the plant.And if they, the government, does it, one of their motivations is to make it narrower and serve the prohibitionist's interest in an otherwise surely different scenario.An example of a narrower bill would be to not allow citizens to grow their own plants. That alone could garner financial donations from all kinds of speculative investors who stand to profit further if citizens can't grow their own: like dispensary owners. Suddenly, historically prohibitionist minded leaders, embracing cannabis, will get support from strange bedfriends.And then will citizens hold out in Florida and vote for the citizens initiative. WILL CITIZENS EVEN HAVE A CHOICE? I believe the citizens initiative is going to the booth. Can anything stop it? If state leaders pass a narrower bill, how will that effect the election question?Either way, it will be a RED state becoming a GREEN state.Stay tuned.
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on February 11, 2014 at 08:56:12 PT
Canis420
That's not good then.
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Comment #2 posted by Canis420 on February 11, 2014 at 08:47:21 PT:
This bill
is narrower than the citizens initiative that is already going to the voters in November. This is just going to muddy the water and confuse voters...If this passes our initiative is doomed.
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Comment #1 posted by The GCW on February 11, 2014 at 05:12:20 PT
Special Ignoids: Gov. Scott and A.G. Bondi.
If leaders are going to be reasonable and rational and a little intelligent, they will support this proposal and get this done before election day. Election day will highlight how out of touch the STAUNCH IGNOIDS are.""" Republican legislative leaders, along with Governor Rick Scott and Attorney General Pam Bondi, vigorously oppose the constitutional amendment."""Those who align themselves alongside Scott and Bondi have proven to be very special. Cannabis shines a light on Scott & Bondi and that's one of the good things about cannabis: it exposes truth.-0-SHOW EM FLORIDA-0-
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