The extremely controversial subject of medicinal marijuana has found a new home: the Sunshine State. Democratic State Representative Jeff Clemens has filed a joint-resolution in the Florida Legislature that, if passed, would allow Florida voters to decide whether or not to amend the state Constitution and allow the growing, using and selling of cannabis, or marijuana, for medicinal purposes.
There are rules, however. The legislature would set a limit on how much cannabis a person may have at a single time, the smoking or usage of cannabis in view of the general public would be prohibited and it would be a crime to falsely claim to need marijuana.
“We have a lot of people suffering here in the state of Florida, and I don’t think we need to be telling them that prescription narcotics are the way to go when we have other, more natural, avenues for them,” said Representative Clemens (10 News).
The proposal, HJR 1407, would first have to pass through the Senate and the House in Florida with 60 percent support in each chamber. If the bill were to pass in both the House and the Senate, the ballot would be put before Florida voters to add a revision to our Constitution. The bill would then again need 60 percent of the vote to finally become a law.
California was famously the first state to legalize marijuana for medicinal use. Since then, a total of 14 states have made medical marijuana legal.
A recent Republican pollster found a very high level of support in Florida for the legalization of medicinal cannabis (Sunshine News). Naturally, most of the support comes from the youth population, especially college students. And just as naturally, right-wingers are horrified at the news. Once again, conservative lawmakers are against the bill and are skeptical of whether or not it will pass.
“With a supermajority of Republican lawmakers appropriately focused on the economy, Clemens’ legalization gambit will likely go up in smoke,” said Republican lawmaker Kenric Ward (Sunshine News), despite countless evidence that the legalization of cannabis would include the enormous potential positive financial impact on Florida’s economy.
“I believe medicinal marijuana has a legitimate use. Marijuana has been used to ease chemotherapy and slow down the process of glaucoma. The compounds found in the marijuana plant have medicinal purposes besides psychoactive effects,” said Chemistry teacher Mr. Richard Lapworth. “However, in California, you can argue the system has been abused some.”
The bill is still in its early stages, and the best way to voice opinions is to find and email state representatives on whether or not we approve of the bill. However, there is still a chance that marijuana can be legalized this upcoming year.
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