Melissa Ross
The parents of epileptic children in Jacksonville say they’re prepared to pack up and move to Colorado to treat their kids if the Jacksonville City Council doesn’t reverse course on its new moratorium on Charlotte’s Web dispensaries.
“I hope the city will change its mind, because there are lots of families who don’t want to leave Jacksonville,” Jacksonville mom Jennifer Davis said. Davis’ 6-year-old daughter, Emma, is epileptic and has frequent seizures.
“But if it means having to go to Colorado to save their child’s life, they will,” she said during an appearance on WJCT’s First Coast Connect.
“They can’t wait any longer.”
The Jacksonville City Council is receiving pushback after implementing a six-month moratorium on Charlotte’s Web dispensaries, just as the state’s Health Department begins accepting applications from nurseries wanting to produce and sell the low-THC marijuana oil considered effective in treating epilepsy and other conditions.
Ryan Wiggins, a spokeswoman for families advocating for this treatment, said she’s hopeful the Council members will revisit the decision. Activists plan to attend Tuesday’s meeting to argue their case.
“The most important thing we’re trying to do is educate. I understand the council is trying to do what’s best for their city but I don’t think they’re really aware of the consequences of their actions. This medication has no street value for anyone who does not need this for medical reasons. Our job is to educate and give them some peace of mind,” she said.
“I mean, this has been a law on the books for over a year now, passed by a Republican-led Legislature and signed by a Republican governor in an election year! None of these people would be doing this if they thought this was something that would cause harm.”
The radio discussion even sparked an impromptu call from former Jacksonville City Council candidate Lisa King, who said:
“This is unconscionable. I was asked as a candidate over a year ago what my position was. This is a legitimate act of local governments to define where certain uses go. I’m most disappointed that the city council has waited till the zero hour to do anything and then has done a knee-jerk reaction when they could have been working on this for the last year, so that if one of these dispensaries was located in our part of the state we would know exactly where it could or couldn’t go.”
Five nurseries will eventually be licensed across the state under tight regulations to dispense Charlotte’s Web. Jacksonville City Councilman Bill Gulliford told The Florida Times-Union this week regarding the moratorium that if it is in fact a knee-jerk decision, “We can unjerk the knee.”
Vocal parents and activists in council chambers next week may influence that potential pivot.
