Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster
The Bradenton Herald editorial board has endorsed Amendment 2, the medical marijuana constitutional amendment; a reversal from the board’s 2014 position.
In an editorial on Sunday, the Bradenton Herald editorial board wrote that it supports the 2016 initiative, which was the editorial said was “much improved with various clarifying revisions.” The editorial also criticized the state Legislature for not taking action on the issue of medical marijuana.
“Legislators are once again abdicating their responsibilities on the issue of medical marijuana. Despite widespread public support for legalization of cannabis for debilitating conditions, lawmakers are failing to consider sweeping medical marijuana legislation and the prospects for a bill to appear before the 2016 session are dim but warranted,” the editorial reads. “Lawmakers have been ignoring citizens who have been clamoring for the compassionate legalization of medical cannabis for at least a decade.”
As to the 2016 version of Amendment 2, the Bradenton Herald editorial says initiative “resolves all of the objectionable provisions of the flawed 2014 initiative.” The amendment specifies diseases or conditions that qualify for medical marijuana, unlike the 2014 amendment that left what qualified as a debilitating condition up to a doctor.
The Bradenton Herald opposed the amendment in 2014, at the time saying “the ballot language contains worrisome provisions that open the door to abuse.”
“The Bradenton Herald gets it right: Florida needs a comprehensive medical marijuana law, and the inaction of Tallahassee politicians leaves us no other options but to amend the Florida constitution,” said Ben Pollara, campaign manager for United for Care, the campaign backing Amendment 2. “We are honored to have the endorsement of the Herald’s editorial board.”
The endorsement marks the second newspaper endorsement the amendment has received in about a week. On Feb. 11, the Miami Herald backed the proposal saying “Floridians have sent a signal they want medical marijuana. For humanitarian reasons, voters should approve the measure this time around.”
The Miami Herald also backed the proposal in 2014.
The amendment received 58 percent support in 2014, just shy of the 60 percent needed to pass. Earlier this month, Secretary of State Ken Detzner certified the initiative would be on the ballot 2016 as Amendment 2.
