In early July, the Miami-Dade County Commissioners voted to decriminalize the possession of marijuana up to 20 grams (a half an ounce of marijuana is 14 grams, so it is much more dangerous to have 3/4 of an ounce or more because at 21 grams or 3/4 of an ounce, the penalty is more serious)1. Before July 2015, personal possession of up to 20 grams was a crime punishable by up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. Under the new law, possession of up to 20 grams is punishable by a $100 fine, or two days of community service.
Floridians for Freedom (www.flcan.org) has recently proposed a constitutional amendment to the Florida Constitution that will give adults 21 and older the right to possess, use and cultivate cannabis. This group believes that the value of cannabis for health, for fiber, for its pharmacological value and for enjoyment is much more important than any perceived threat to society. No one should ever be locked up for using marijuana as long as they are not behind the wheel of a car, bus, truck, plane, or any other profession that jeopardizes public safety, and law enforcement should be allowed to focus on fighting real crime, instead of spending countless hours investigating and processing a marijuana arrest for a secretary or receptionist. Although many people who live in Florida believe that it is time to end cannabis prohibition, some people (especially people who use or sell marijuana) are afraid to sign their name to a petition that clearly states at the top that the form becomes a public record upon receipt by the Supervisor of Elections.
It is worth noting that polls from several swing states suggest that candidates generally back states’ rights to set their own marijuana laws. According to recent polls, the majority of voters in both Florida and Ohio say they support legalized marijuana for recreational use, while the voting population in Pennsylvania is split nearly down the middle on the issue.2 The biggest obstacle for Floridians for Freedom will be the elderly population. Many of them who have cancer, ms, dementia, and neuropathy have no idea that this medicine will help them and are afraid that cannabis smokers will cause just as many car accidents as alcohol. The elderly voted against medical marijuana in 2014, causing the constitutional amendment to miss the 60% it needed by only 2%. I hope the elderly are not swayed by anti-cannabis propaganda generated by far right loons as they were in the 2014 election.
As part of the effort to reach 1 million voters in the next 3 months, Floridians for Freedom has taken on an enormous challenge. FLCAN Executive Director Jodi James, who currently serves as the Chair of Floridians for Freedom is teaming up with Alex Snitker and Dennis “Murli” Watkins of Gainesville for a fourteen day, 34-county tour of Florida. At least 1 million registered voters must sign this petition by December 31, 2015 to get it on the 2016 ballot.
Medical marijuana is already on the 2016 ballot, because most Floridians agree that marijuana is medicine for many people. Another constitutional drive run by United For Care and led by Orlando lawyer John Morgan wants to legalize marijuana for medical purposes only, while Floridians For Freedom wants it legalized for all uses. Floridians For Freedom is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1998 and is based in Melbourne. The language of their proposed amendment is short:
“All people in the State of Florida twenty-one years of age and older shall have the right under state laws to possession, use, and cultivation of cannabis. The right shall not be infringed except that the transfer of cannabis by purchase or sale may be regulated as necessary to insure health and safety.”
Jodi James, chair of Floridians For Freedom and executive director of the Florida Cannabis Action Network, described the proposal as an effort for ending prohibition of marijuana under state law. All the commercial aspects of marijuana would be controlled by rules and regulations set by the Florida Legislature and Department of Commerce, she said. She called that the group’s “end goal.” They want it to be legal, regulated, and controlled and they want everyone to have safe access. Floridians For Freedom will have to gather many valid signatures to get the effort to the next phase, Florida Supreme Court review, to make sure the proposed amendment and ballot language meet all state requirements.
If you are a recreational user and you are afraid to lose your job if your boss finds out, you might not want to sign the petition. However, if you are someone who believes that marijuana is a miraculous plant that can provide relief for many people who are suffering and you don’t personally use it, please support the amendment. In Colorado, the revenue from cannabis sales is being used for education instead of going into the pockets of street vendors. See http://www.denverpost.com/marijuana/ci_26247743/pot-revenues-starting-help-select-schools-pricey-projects for more details. Florida’s public school system is starving for revenue to improve education. Our public schools are so bad that most wealthy Floridians send their children to private school. Why should the drug cartels and street vendors make so much money “under the table” when the state desperately needs the revenue it could generate from legalization?
Even if you believe marijuana should be used for medicinal reasons but not for recreation, I encourage you to sign this petition because the federal ban on cannabis makes it difficult for scientists to obtain the plant to study it, and if all 50 states decide cannabis should be legal, the federal government will likely overturn the ban and make it 100% legal for adults. Once the plant is legal, companies such as GW Pharmaceuticals will find it easier, less expensive and safer to develop cannabis medicines and therapies for patients with horrific diseases.
GW Pharmaceuticals has established the Cannabinoid Research Institute and specializes in cannabinoid science. There are more than 60 cannabinoid compounds identified to date. GW is researching many cannabinoids, each of which has different effects and applications. There might be a cure for cancer within this remarkable plant if scientists and researchers are allowed to study it. If you believe that marijuana should be legal, please take the time to sign and mail this petition which can be found at http://dos.elections.myflorida.com/initiatives/fulltext/pdf/64864-1.pdf. The deadline is December 31, 2015.
1Green, Johnny. (July 3, 2015). Miami-Dade Decriminalization Plan Will Start in One Week. The Weed Blog. (Retrieved from http://http://www.theweedblog.com/miami-dade-marijuana-decriminalization-law-will-start-in-one-week/)
2Broadbeck, Laura. (October 9, 2015). As Marijuana Support Grows, Election Worries Mount. Benzinga. (Retrieved from http://finance.yahoo.com/news/marijuana-support-grows-election-worries-105405661.html)