[beachmouse]

Originally Posted by d4g4m

We've been told that passing this amendment will help 300,000 to 400,000 people. About 1.6% of the population. How many phony millions of prescriptions will be written?

Though at least pot is pretty benign compared to oxy in that regard.

[marcopolo]

Totally in favor, for anything that waters down the incredible waste of the war on drugs. We have twice as many people in prison as we should, we employ twice the police officers and twice the judges that we need at a huge direct cost to taxpayers--as well as the indirect costs of lives ruined by the criminal 'justice' system. The amendment is not perfect by any means, but it makes more sense than the current insanity of paying cops and judges and prison officials and probation officers for LOSING the war on drugs.

How did alcohol prohibition work out? We're making the same mistakes with many of the same consequences with marijuana prohibition.

[StarfishKey]

Originally Posted by beachmouse

Though at least pot is pretty benign compared to oxy in that regard.

Exactly. There are millions of unethical Rxs being written in FL right now. This amendment will not change that fact, and at least now some bogus patients may actually CHOSE to ask for a marijuana Rx rather than one for a medicine that has proven to be highly addictive or highly associated with violence risk. In this way, it could help stream people in our state off the harder stuff onto something a little more mellow, if still not legal or healthy for the situation. People who have no stress management skills are going to harm themselves, and thereby society, either way - if we have no choice I'd rather they have an attractive less dangerous choice available, so hopefully we'll have less people utterly strung out on pain pills, sleeping pills that are known to cause erratic and dangerous behavior, or inappropriate psychotropic medications.

The amendment would not cause any bigger problem than we have already, and can actually save lives and help to improve our economy, as well as potentially lessen a few of the other problems that we already have. I personally think it's very offensive to those who are fighting for their lives with a serious condition, to claim to have one just to space out for a few hours. You know, like faking disability for a parking spot, or faking dying for the sympathy or money - it's pretty bad on the moral scale. I hope all of you will consider that when this does eventually pass, and think before you make light of something that is life and death to others. You want to legally smoke recreational pot? Work to get that legislation passed, and wait until it does. Don't take the dignity away from those of us who are actually sick - it's not something to really joke about when you're fighting every day just to stay alive. Don't make junk up just to get a medical card - karma will come back to get you and you will fully deserve it if you end up needing that card for a real medical reason not long after. Never wish to be sick, it's not that fun. Enjoy your health while you've got it.

[valicky]

Originally Posted by marcopolo

Totally in favor, for anything that waters down the incredible waste of the war on drugs. We have twice as many people in prison as we should, we employ twice the police officers and twice the judges that we need at a huge direct cost to taxpayers--as well as the indirect costs of lives ruined by the criminal 'justice' system. The amendment is not perfect by any means, but it makes more sense than the current insanity of paying cops and judges and prison officials and probation officers for LOSING the war on drugs.

How did alcohol prohibition work out? We're making the same mistakes with many of the same consequences with marijuana prohibition.

I agree. Why is alcohol legal and pot isn't? If you want to talk gateway, alcohol almost always comes before pot with kids. Alcohol is available everywhere and has caused countless deaths and injuries and lots of other harmful effects on families. I just don't see the difference between the two. I actually think alcohol begets more violence than pot and more horrific car accidents. Cigarettes have no redeeming quality and they're legal. I'm fairly conservative, have never smoked anything in my entire 52 years and think the illegal pot thing is ridiculous. I've never needed government to tell me what's bad or good for me.

[BillS111]

No intelligent and logical person can possibly be against Question 2. There are 2 groups who will use pot if this passes:

1. medical patients - we have no reason to deny them relief from their suffering, not to mention that medical cannabis is actually good for you, unlike most Rx's which are toxic and can be replaced by medical cannabis. Not only that, medical cannabis cures cancer, and dozens of other diseases. Pot being illegal over the last 80 years has literally cost millions of lives that could have been saved.

2. recreational users who fake their illness - this part of the opponents' argument is dishonest - recreational pot is way less harmful than booze, yet you want to keep the status quo where people go to jail for something less harmful than booze? that's an immoral viewpoint...... the opponents might have some credibility if they were trying to outlaw alcohol, but they dont, because they have an agenda that has nothing to do with what's moral, or best for FL

All the opponents have various excuses why this isnt the perfect bill. A bill like this will never be perfect.

A few other points:

1. the current CBD-only legislation is highly inadequate. There are dozens of strains with varying ratios of CBD, CBN, THC, etc that are specific to each disease and/or symptom. The CBD-only legislation helps only about 2 or 3% of people who need it.

2. pot use lowers domestic violence, because in homes where pot is used instead of booze, there is less propensity for violence

3. medical pot actually lowers drug abuse and pill mills. I find it funny that opponents say we dont need to add to the pill mill problem. This will do the opposite. I work with and know so many people (in legal states) who have been able to give up most or all of their painkillers, benzos, etc because of medical pot

The benefits of this outweigh the costs by about 100 to 1. If you're for death from un-cured disease, pain and suffering, pill mill abuse, legalized police theft via asset seizure, wasted government money, and imprisonment, then Vote No on 2

If you're not a sucker for the ads being paid for by pharmaceutical, police and prison guard union, and prison-industrial complex special interests, then vote Yes on 2.

[pilotpair]

The arguments here wage back and forth on the value (or not) of marijuana. I personally don't care about marijuana, but it's tragic for this state that the arguments center on this and not the most awful portion of this Amendment.

I hate Amendment 2 because it gives total immunity to doctors. They can't be sued or arrested. Does that make sense to you?

The whole text of this amendment was in the first post in this chain. Please read it.

A doctor can give a physician certification to anyone he thinks could be helped by marijuana. His decision/action cannot be the subject of a lawsuit such as malpractice and he won't be subject to criminal charges.

Weren't Floridians happy when the pill mills were driven out of this state? Now supporters of Amendment 2 want them back in - and with total immunity from law enforcement.

What is in the heads of Floridians that they could think this is a good idea! Amendment 2 should be defeated.

[NeonGecko]

The clause about doctors not being subject to criminal charges is so they won't go to jail for prescribing a drug that is STILL considered a class 1 narcotic at the federal level.

And yes, I do think that clause needs to be there. I DO want doctors to have immunity from prosecution by law enforcement for prescribing medical marijuana. I ALSO want immunity from prosecution and seizure of my property for use of medical marijuana to ease my pain. And I hope that someday soon marijuana will be legalized EVERYWHERE for all uses (by adults), same as cigarettes or alcohol.

But for now I'll settle for cessation of assaults by law enforcement against patients and doctors in regard to the use of medical marijuana.

Who knows, once I have some of this pain under control, perhaps I'll have the energy again to work for legalization for everyone.

In the meantime, as far as people thinking the bill is "bad" (for some other reason than paranoid fears that every doctor in Florida will start writing prescriptions for medical marijuana for anybody who walks through their door and the whole state will turn into one massive reggae party) - what are the shortcomings? What is ambiguous about it?

*crickets chirping*

That's what I thought.

[BillS111]

Originally Posted by pilotpair

The arguments here wage back and forth on the value (or not) of marijuana. I personally don't care about marijuana, but it's tragic for this state that the arguments center on this and not the most awful portion of this Amendment.

I hate Amendment 2 because it gives total immunity to doctors. They can't be sued or arrested. Does that make sense to you?

The whole text of this amendment was in the first post in this chain. Please read it.

A doctor can give a physician certification to anyone he thinks could be helped by marijuana. His decision/action cannot be the subject of a lawsuit such as malpractice and he won't be subject to criminal charges.

Weren't Floridians happy when the pill mills were driven out of this state? Now supporters of Amendment 2 want them back in - and with total immunity from law enforcement.

What is in the heads of Floridians that they could think this is a good idea! Amendment 2 should be defeated.

More lack of knowledge from a Question2 opponent. Who cares if doctors cant be sued with this? It doesnt matter, because there is nothing to sue over. Marijuana (other than vitamins) is the safest medicine in existence. It's 100x safer than any Rx.

It's just another red herring from opponents.

And this *lowers* the use of pill mills, not raises it. Most people i know with chronic diseases are able to get rid of most or all of their Rx meds.

[CravingMountains]

I don't mind legalization for medical purposes. But only for medical purposes.

[Zaba]

I have a relative who suffers from debilitating migraines.

People who think 'migraines' are 'headaches' don't understand. She lies in bed all day, she vomits. The ONLY medicine that works for her so far has been marijuana, and this is after trying everything the pharmaceutical industry had. She finally smoked marijuana (for the 2nd time in her life, in her 70's) and found relief.

During the course of this debate, migraine headaches have been trivialized as one of the 'fake reasons' someone might seek medical marijuana. For her, its the difference between being able to exist semi-functional and being bedridden.

I wish I could round up everyone who opposes this bill and stand them against a wall in front of a belt fed machine gun. I'd pull the trigger and not lose a moments sleep. To think those morons would criminalize my relative because of their pathetic reefer-madness mentality, its beyond maddening. The stupid hysterics these morons cite in opposition to A2 are infuriatingly dishonest and fundamentally naive. So frustrating trying to overcome the impassioned stupidity of ignorant ideologues but hopefully, smarter heads prevail and the amendment passes.

Unfortunately, the reefer madness commercials seem to be having an effect on the polling data. I sure wish we could take a poll that IQ tested everyone for and against.