Majority of Floridians Support Legalizing Medical Marijuana

Florida voters will decide whether to legalize medical marijuana or not this November. The initiative barely failed two years ago, but is expected to pass by large margins this time.

Recent polls conducted by the Florida Chamber of Commerce shows that 73 percent of likely voters support legal medical marijuana, according to Gainesville.com. In 2014, lawmakers in Florida did approve a bill for patients with epilepsy, chronic muscle spasms and cancer to use CBD products. The new legislation allows for full-strength marijuana products for terminally ill patients.

In a phone interview, ballot initiative specialist Daniel Smith said, “It’s not a newfangled wild proposition. Five million Florida voters have already considered the issue, and it nearly passed with that electorate that is a much more conservative electorate than we have this time. The establishment was much more opposed to medical marijuana two years ago than they are today. …So the fearmongering ‘the sky will fall’ argument is two years put to rest.”

Some supporters fear that the legislation as it stands still neglects some severely ill patients that could benefit from using medical marijuana. The Use of Marijuana for Debilitating Illnesses, also known as Amendment 2, was changed slightly from the 2014 version in response to criticism from opponents of the initiative.

The revised version, that will be on November ballots, says that minors can obtain medical marijuana with the consent of a parent before a doctor can make a recommendation. Epilepsy and PTSD have been added to the small list of qualifying conditions.

What differs in Florida from other states is that the legislation’s language includes that doctors can make recommendations for conditions that are not on the qualifying conditions list, but are classified the same as a condition on the list. Approval for the patient is not, however, guaranteed. The doctor also has to provide proof of belief “that the medical use of marijuana would likely outweigh the potential health risks for patients.”

The measure faces a lot of opposition from lawmakers throughout the State of Florida. However, the Attorney General, Pam Bondi said, “I continue to believe that Amendment 2 will expand the use and access of marijuana in Florida, especially among our youth. Unlike legislation, an amendment would be a permanent part of our Constitution and would be difficult to reverse if found detrimental to public health and safety.”