Jim Rosica
A proposed constitutional amendment allowing medical pot now has the amount of signatures needed for Supreme Court review, the next step toward getting on the 2016 ballot.
Late Monday, the state Division of Elections website showed the amendment had 73,713 valid signatures.
Medical marijuana got more than a million signatures overall last time, but an initiative actually needs 683,149 verified signatures.
One-tenth that number is needed to qualify for a review by the court, which determines the legality of the language and ballot summary before it can go on the ballot.
“This is the first major milestone to bringing medical marijuana back before the voters of Florida,”said Ben Pollara, head of Orlando-based People United for Medical Marijuana.
“In the next election, Floridians will succeed where their elected leaders have failed them, and pass a comprehensive, compassionate medical marijuana law to serve the hundreds of thousands of sick and suffering people who are so desperate for relief in our state.”
Las Vegas casino mogul Sheldon Adelson spent considerable money to oppose the amendment last year – about $5.5 million – and it fell 3 points short of the 60 percent needed for it to be added to the state constitution.
That was despite the backing of Orlando trial attorney John Morgan, who personally gave more than $4 million to the petition drive.
Pollara has said the amendment’s new language clarifies issues related to parental consent and the kinds of conditions that would qualify use of marijuana with a doctor’s recommendation.
Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia allow medical marijuana under state law, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, but selling marijuana is still a federal crime.
