[d4g4m]

Well written and funded by John Morgan, Charlie Crist's boss, Morgan & Morgan law firm. Way too many loop holes where abusers can not be prosecuted. Just another scam to get a drug legalized and Florida will look like California and Colorado. And I'm still not buying the medical use.

[StarfishKey]

Originally Posted by d4g4m

And I'm still not buying the medical use.

Based on what?

Here is a story of a family that voted against medical marijuana legalization, until high-CBD marijuana saved their daughter's life:
Marijuana stops child's severe seizures - CNN.com

There is a big difference medically speaking between high-THC marijuana, that makes people high and can sometimes even exacerbate a seizure disorder, and high-CBD marijuana, that does not get people high (not psychoactive) and has more medicinal properties.

And medicinal marijuana does not have to be smoked to be effective. Often, people with life-threatening medical conditions use marijuana oil, or a tincture. Under current law that's still illegal, even though it can save someone's life and in high-CBD-only form does not cause a high. There's nothing recreational about giving a child an oil that stops them from having seizures, but if many here had their way they would choose that that child die rather than allow them access to it. Where are our priorities in this country? Again, I too was initially against it, but we need to educate ourselves.

There are lots of stories like this one, but very little formal research to back it up, simply because it is an illegal substance so one cannot easily obtain funding to perform such medical studies. Lack of Western studies has nothing to do with the effectiveness of treatments on individual diseases, as our medical system is highly politicized and revolves around where the funding money is, not what works or does not work. Likewise, there are no thorough studies proving high-CBD marijuana does NOT work on seizures.

Marijuana is highly effective in pain relief for people with life-threatening conditions. WedMD even admits it, and for legal reasons they never promote anything alternative.
Marijuana Relieves Chronic Pain, Research Shows

It's also highly effective in improving appetite, which is again extremely important for many life-threatening conditions that come with severe nausea.
http://www.livescience.com/12956-mar...-patients.html
Note that this is using high-THC cannabis, the psychoactive kind, not high-CBD cannabis. I don't know if high-CBD marijuana has the same effect on appetite, as it's a newer strain.

All patients react differently to treatments, which is why a variety are needed for every disease. It should be up to a patient and their doctor whether medical marijuana is right for them, not a public that knows nothing about medicine nor what it is like to have a life-threatening disease.

[Fl1150]

I'm not trying to make it seem like only law enforcement is against but they are a big reason marijuana is so penalized. Trust me anybody can have a lobbyist representing them in Washington so their is a reason why is not really brought up too much at a federal level. I rather have it legalized then trying to stop from coming into are neighborhoods and schools. I understand the risk as well as the concerns about children but those are pretty exaggerated claims. California, Colorado and Washington State are just fine I don't see any destruction ever since those laws have been implemented. But you know why we have not seen anything bad happen because pot has always been available to the masses just underground black market. So essentially were just taking power away from drug dealers.

[OpinionInOcala]

Originally Posted by bbronston

I agree it is largely a waste of money although the costs to society as a result of drugs is also a very real problem. I'm just saying that law enforcement enforces laws, they don't write them. Prisons and jails don't control the laws that are written or enforced. It's just hype to refer to the situation as a complex in the same way that Eisenhower warned of the military-industrial complex. Similar in some ways, perhaps, but not the same concept, IMO. YMMV

I agree with you that law enforcement, prisons, etc., merely enforce laws -- not always effectively or equally I might add.

But it's not just 'hype' to refer to either the prison or military situations as complexes, because that's precisely what they are. The former purposefully creates a reliable underclass through calculated erosion of liberty; the latter is the nearly unbelievable concept of 'spreading peace through force in the name of benevolence and at the cost of economic destruction.' Both are insidious, specific in their intent, and multifaceted; both are parts of a system that redistributes wealth and power upwards, etc. They're most certainly complexes.

Originally Posted by Fl1150

Trust me anybody can have a lobbyist representing them in Washington

Absolutely false.

[bbronston]

^^^the question here is not whether there is a "complex" responsible for creating or perpetuating unnecessary criminal code solely for the purpose of keeping law enforcement and penal employment at ever increasing levels. This proposed constitutional amendment is the issue. Recreational use will still be illegal and I suspect that the number of people who get busted for medical use each year (and who are given jail time) is relatively small so this change to the constitution will not accomplish much of anything for those who want to correct what they perceive as a corrupt system.

That leaves us with what the amendment will accomplish and, for my vote, what it accomplishes is not worth the potential harm it does. It's really that simple. I don't want special interests getting their way thru fuzzy-language amendments that, let's face it, most voters won't even take the time to bother to read much less consider the ramifications of passage. I expect it will pass and I think it is unbelievably ridiculous that doctors can prescribe morphine and other narcotics but not pot (in its various forms) in Florida so I want to see that changed. I'm just not going to vote for THIS amendment.

[runswithscissors]

Congrats Florida on keeping the citizens watching THIS amendment instead of Amendment ONE where the state confiscates yet even MORE property from the rightful owners...the CITIZENS. With their own tax dollars no less. Without even a marketable title or even BONDS!

Wake up people. And stop complaining about housing prices and the economy when it's all because of the lack of affordable entry level housing on stagnate wages and a denial of supply side economics. Which will create family formations, stability and people committed to their communities.

WHY DOES THE STATE OF FLORIDA OWN 50% OF PROPERTY? AND WHY ARE PEOPLE IN SUCH A HURRY TO GIVE UP THEIR FREEDOMS AND PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS TO A BUNCH OF CORRUPT BUREAUCRATS?

Stop getting high and study civics. the Constitution, and what's going on in our state and country, FFS.

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by d4g4m

Well written and funded by John Morgan, Charlie Crist's boss, Morgan & Morgan law firm. Way too many loop holes where abusers can not be prosecuted. Just another scam to get a drug legalized and Florida will look like California and Colorado. And I'm still not buying the medical use.

Possession of one ounce usage for personal/medical usage is legal in Washington and Colorado and Florida only wishes it could look like either.

Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Washington DC, Michigan, Illinois, New Mexico, Arizona, Montana, Oregon, Nevada, Alaska and Hawaii all have legalized for medical use already and nearly all have decriminalized it. Six states have reduced possession of an ounce or less to a civil infraction (New York, Ohio, North Carolina, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Mississippi).

In terms of not "buying" the medical use...read up:

23 Health Benefits Of Marijuana - Business Insider

[hempstaff]

VOTE YES on #2! WE can do this Florida! Let the DOCTORS decide what is the best medicine - this is NOT recreational, nor will it lead to recreation. This is all about helping the sick!!

[bbronston]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

...and Florida only wishes it could look like either.

I think it is interesting, though, that only two days ago the Democrat governor of Colorado was out there cautioning other states against de-criminalization. He was, I think, referring to recreational use, primarily, but not everyone--obviously--is convinced of the wisdom of general decriminalization in these places.

[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?