By Meredith Rutland
<!-- php echo editorial_news_registry_tag($node) --><!-- old call to print entire body --><!--Splits body into grafs and inserts Google Survey code after second graf--> After months of impassioned pleas from both sides, the highly contentious and expensive ballot amendment to legalize medical marijuana narrowly failed.
<!--Google Surveys--> The amendment would have legalized the use of medical marijuana for patients with debilitating medical conditions. It also would have legalized the possession, production and sale of medical marijuana and give the state Department of Health authority to create regulations surrounding the measure.
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About 57 percent of ballots were in favor of the amendment. Constitutional amendments require at least 60 percent of the vote to pass.
Opponents of the bill said the potential for abuse was too strong and regulations weren’t clearly outlined. The amendment required the Florida Department of Health to set regulations regarding who could grow, distribute and use medical marijuana, including setting criteria for ID cards, but did not lay out specifics of those regulations.
Proponents are disappointed but not dismayed. They said legal medical marijuana had the potential to help many Floridians manage painful diseases without relying on more-addictive, dangerous prescription pills.
Calls to the “No on 2” campaign spokeswoman were not returned by press time.
Ben Pollara, United for Care campaign manager, said the organization plans to go to the Florida Legislature and ask for a robust medical marijuana law. If that doesn’t work, he said, United for Care plans to rally voters for signatures to put the amendment on a future year’s ballot.
“The people of Florida want a medical marijuana law,” he said.
People United for Medical Marijuana, the campaign arm of United for Care, raised about $5.8 million and spent about $7.4 million, including a huge push of $622,000 in mid-October.
Drug Free Florida, the fundraising arm of the “Vote No on 2” campaign, raised about $6.3 million and spent about $6.2 million, including $500,000 in late October.
The idea of being able to legally sell, distribute and use medical marijuana has been turning heads since January, after United for Care got hundreds of thousands of signatures to add the amendment to the ballot.
Florida farmers took note, some musing about converting their tomato greenhouses into organic medical marijuana farms. Conferences have been staged across Florida to connect those interested in getting into the market, from chefs interested in edibles to greenhouse operators interested in growing to everyday workers looking to get involved.
Opponents of Amendment 2 said the needs of those desiring marijuana for medical purposes were satisfied when the Florida Legislature passed the “Charlotte’s Web” medical marijuana bill, which legalized certain types of marijuana low in THC, which creates the euphoric high. This type of marijuana was promoted as effective against epilepsy and other similar diseases.
Florida’s medical marijuana industry is estimated to have a potential of $40 million to $700 million, depending on pricing, regulation and more, said Chris Walsh, managing editor of Medical Marijuana Business Daily, a trade publication.
http://jacksonville.com/news/politi...da-medical-marijuana-amendment-narrowly-fails
<!-- php echo editorial_news_registry_tag($node) --><!-- old call to print entire body --><!--Splits body into grafs and inserts Google Survey code after second graf--> After months of impassioned pleas from both sides, the highly contentious and expensive ballot amendment to legalize medical marijuana narrowly failed.
<!--Google Surveys--> The amendment would have legalized the use of medical marijuana for patients with debilitating medical conditions. It also would have legalized the possession, production and sale of medical marijuana and give the state Department of Health authority to create regulations surrounding the measure.
<IFRAME id=t402-prompt-iframe style="BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; OVERFLOW: hidden; HEIGHT: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; WIDTH: 0px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; opacity: 0; border-image: none" src='javascript:""' frameBorder=0 allowTransparency></IFRAME>
About 57 percent of ballots were in favor of the amendment. Constitutional amendments require at least 60 percent of the vote to pass.
Opponents of the bill said the potential for abuse was too strong and regulations weren’t clearly outlined. The amendment required the Florida Department of Health to set regulations regarding who could grow, distribute and use medical marijuana, including setting criteria for ID cards, but did not lay out specifics of those regulations.
Proponents are disappointed but not dismayed. They said legal medical marijuana had the potential to help many Floridians manage painful diseases without relying on more-addictive, dangerous prescription pills.
Calls to the “No on 2” campaign spokeswoman were not returned by press time.
Ben Pollara, United for Care campaign manager, said the organization plans to go to the Florida Legislature and ask for a robust medical marijuana law. If that doesn’t work, he said, United for Care plans to rally voters for signatures to put the amendment on a future year’s ballot.
“The people of Florida want a medical marijuana law,” he said.
People United for Medical Marijuana, the campaign arm of United for Care, raised about $5.8 million and spent about $7.4 million, including a huge push of $622,000 in mid-October.
Drug Free Florida, the fundraising arm of the “Vote No on 2” campaign, raised about $6.3 million and spent about $6.2 million, including $500,000 in late October.
The idea of being able to legally sell, distribute and use medical marijuana has been turning heads since January, after United for Care got hundreds of thousands of signatures to add the amendment to the ballot.
Florida farmers took note, some musing about converting their tomato greenhouses into organic medical marijuana farms. Conferences have been staged across Florida to connect those interested in getting into the market, from chefs interested in edibles to greenhouse operators interested in growing to everyday workers looking to get involved.
Opponents of Amendment 2 said the needs of those desiring marijuana for medical purposes were satisfied when the Florida Legislature passed the “Charlotte’s Web” medical marijuana bill, which legalized certain types of marijuana low in THC, which creates the euphoric high. This type of marijuana was promoted as effective against epilepsy and other similar diseases.
Florida’s medical marijuana industry is estimated to have a potential of $40 million to $700 million, depending on pricing, regulation and more, said Chris Walsh, managing editor of Medical Marijuana Business Daily, a trade publication.
http://jacksonville.com/news/politi...da-medical-marijuana-amendment-narrowly-fails
