Pubdate: Mon, 01 Apr 2013
Source: News Herald (Panama City, FL)
Copyright: 2013 The News Herald
Contact:  http://www.newsherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1018
Author: Matthew Beaton, The News Herald
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v13/n134/a10.html

FLORIDA MEDICAL MARIJUANA LEGISLATION FAILS TO ADVANCE

Proponents Promise To Try Again Next Year

TALLAHASSEE - Keep those pot plants hidden - at least for another year.

A bill to legalize medical marijuana in the Legislature is all but 
dead, as Florida's 2013 legislative session approaches its halfway 
point and neither the House nor the Senate has given the bill a hearing.

The legislation (HB 1139/SB 1250)failed to gain momentum despite two 
states - Colorado and Washington state - legalizing recreational 
marijuana for adults in the fall and another, Massachusetts, becoming 
the 18th state to allow medicinal use. Also a study came out this 
winter showing seven in 10 Floridians support legalizing medical marijuana.

Despite the stonewall, the bill's House sponsor, Rep. Katie Edwards, 
D-Plantation, said it's only a matter of time - two or three years - 
before the state accepts the inevitable and legalizes medical pot. 
She's undeterred by this session's failure and plans to file the bill 
again next year, but she said Monday disappointed it never received a 
committee hearing.

"I think this really is a missed opportunity by our Legislature to 
address something that really needs to be talked about," she said.

Next year's legislation would be slightly different, she said, 
aligning marijuana more closely with medicine and pharmacists in 
white coats rather than the standard street drug, which conjures 
images of Hollywood stoner duo Cheech and Chong.

"We need to get beyond the aspect of the recreational use," Edwards said.

The future legislation would restrict cannabis to being supplied in a 
topical, pill or oil form, which would be prescribed only for a 
limited number of diseases by a physician or a physician's assistant.

The current bill would allow marijuana to be smoked, but the 
recrafted legislation needs to treat it like any other medicine, 
Edwards said, where the active ingredients are extracted from the 
plant and put into a safe-to-prescribe form.

Creating awareness

This year wasn't a total loss, she said. One of Edwards' goals was to 
generate awareness that marijuana is being successfully used to 
mitigate pain and other symptoms associated with cancer, epilepsy and 
Lou Gehrig's disease. She called the bill a "long shot" from the 
get-go and said the ultimate goal is to help those who are truly ill.

"Getting sick and having cancer isn't a partisan issue," she said.

Six months ago the legislation wasn't even on Edwards' radar, but as 
she was stumping for the fall election, the people she talked to 
continually asked about her position on medical marijuana. So, the 
freshman representative took her best shot to do something about it, 
filing the bill in late February.

Edwards said the bill, at the least, should have workshopped in its 
first committee and then studied; that way the state would be ready 
if voters legalize medical marijuana in 2014 as a constitutional 
amendment. (Proponents already are organizing a campaign to place the 
issue on the ballot, with John Morgan, co-founder of a prestigious 
Orlando-based law firm, leading the effort.)

"At some point, I believe lawmakers are going to have to engage in 
this conversation and address the concerns raised by the medical 
profession, by law enforcement and by patients themselves," she said.

'Uncomfortable' topic

Edwards speculated the bill hasn't received a hearing because it 
would be "uncomfortable" for lawmakers to return to their districts 
and say they voted to legalize marijuana.

"I think there's a tendency - and it's very natural on lawmakers' 
part - to be concerned about, one, how it's going to impact (them) on 
re-election, and they don't know enough about the issue to be able to 
say that they have their own formed opinion yet," she said.

Edwards said plenty of Republicans are now giving medical marijuana a 
second look and it could be a "critical issue" if it makes the 2014 
ballot. She said her counterparts may be forced to the bargaining 
table if that's the case.

"I think that perceptions have changed on this, especially as the 
population ages and people recognize that it really is silly to 
outlaw this for medicinal purposes," she said.

Yet, plenty maintain adamant opposition to any form of pot 
legalization. State Rep. Jimmy Patronis, R-Panama City, feels that 
way. He's recommended those who say they need marijuana for medical 
reasons to move to a state where it's legal.

State Rep. Marti Coley, R-Marianna, the No. 2-ranking Republican in 
the House, said in an email that she doesn't support the bill. She 
did not immediately respond when asked why.

Other legislation circling the drain at the session's midway point:

- - A bill (HB 97/SB 374) that would limit places where a concealed 
carry weapon could be taken has not received a hearing in the House 
or the Senate.

- - A bill titled the "Florida for Life Act" has not received a 
committee hearing in the House or Senate. The bill (HB 395/SB 1056) 
would ban nearly all abortions.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jo-D