Guest Author
Second of two parts.
Most Floridians support the legalization of medical marijuana, an issue that voters may decide in a referendum next year.
However, we need to heed the objections of the 18 percent of Florida residents who oppose the measure. One congressional candidate confided in me that a family member who had been a heavy pot smoker had contracted lung cancer.
While this was a tragedy, it most likely was not due to his marijuana use. The only major study attempting to prove the connection between MMJ and cancer was conducted at UC-Berkeley in 1985 failed to establish a relationship. The study noted that the volume of smoke inhaled from marijuana use is far less than the amount ingested while smoking tobacco.
At a recent legislative delegation meeting in Tampa, a woman spoke against the legalization of MMJ. “Medications are not smoked. No one smokes an antibiotic,” she said.
When the conservative Sen. Tom Lee asked her if she would be OK with MMJ in pill form, she still objected to it, comparing that to Oxycotin use. However, she was objecting to recreational drug abuse, which is not the situation with MMJ use.
Of course, as is often the case in Florida, the minority, including those who work in Tallahassee, have thwarted popular opinion. The last two legislative years have seen bills come before our legislators never to get out of committee or to a hearing.
This year, however, may be different.
Lawyer John Morgan took the helm of an amendment campaign in an attempt to put the issue on the ballot in November 2014. It was organized by People United For Medical Marijuana (PUFMM) and joined by United for Care, an organization set up by Morgan and run by political strategist Ben Pollara.
Supporters of the amendment need about one million signatures by Jan. 1 to get the issue on the November 2014 ballot. Actually, they need only 643,000, but they expect that many petitions will be rejected in Tallahassee, so the buffer was established.
An early version of the amendment included language that allowed private growers to produce marijuana if no dispensaries were established. But the current amendment dropped the home-growers provision and requires people in need to sue the state if no dispensaries are established.
My concern is that the sluggish legal system could hinder the process, and many people with debilitating diseases will continue to suffer while a lawsuit goes before the courts.
However, restricting home-growers will help to verify purity of product and regulate the supply chain.
Some claim that medical marijuana initiative is simply a sinister step toward legalization of recreational pot.
That may be the objective of some supporters, but medical marijuana is proven to help those with cancer, glaucoma, AIDS, hepatitis C, ALS, Crohn’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis.
I doubt that 82 percent of the population has these diseases and need relief. But that 82 percent certainly contains many who know of folks who are suffering. You don’t have to be a recreational pot-smoker to appreciate this amendment, and most know that this campaign is not about recreational use.
The amendment, however, would open the door for more research into what else cannabis can do. Studies are under way in other states to use marijuana to treat autism and other surprising illnesses and disabilities. Just like the strict sanctions on stem-cell research, keeping medical marijuana illegal has set important research back decades.
Most Floridians see the sanity in legalization not for personal reasons but as a way to ease the suffering of a friend or loved one. My hope is that voters will decide this issue rather than lobbyists.
If you are against it, you can vote against it. If you are for it, you will have your say in your vote, too. But first, the initiative needs signatures to get to the ballot and the Jan. 1 deadline is fast approaching.
Too many have died or are living in pain when a solution is at hand. When the benefits outweigh the risk, it’s worth it.
If you are a registered Florida voter and want to sign the petition, go to www.unitedforcare.org/petition.
