Pubdate: Sat, 25 Jan 2014 Source: Palm Beach Post, The (FL) Page: A1 Copyright: 2014 The Palm Beach Post Contact: http://www.palmbeachpost.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/333 Author: George Bennett MEDICAL MARIJUANA CLOSER TO FALL VOTE Necessary Signatures Submitted but Court Still Must OK Wording. An effort to legalize medical marijuana in Florida has garnered enough petition signatures to go before voters in November - leaving it up to the state Supreme Court to decide whether the wording of the question is legal. The marijuana measure, a potential wild card affecting turnout for the governor's race and other midterm elections this year, exceeded the state's requirement of 683,149 voter signatures needed to put a question on the ballot, the Florida Division of Elections confirmed Friday. The Florida Supreme Court has not yet ruled on Attorney General Pam Bondi's challenge to the 75-word ballot summary for the referendum. Bondi contends the wording misleads voters by understating the "breathtaking scope" of marijuana use that would be allowed if the question passes. If the referendum makes it onto the ballot, it would need 60 percent approval from voters to be added to the state constitution. Polls have shown strong support for legalizing medicinal marijuana. A survey this week by the Democratic firm Public Policy Polling showed 65 percent of Florida voters approving and 23 percent disapproving. A Quinnipiac University poll in November found 82 percent of voters in favor and 16 percent opposed. The main financial backer of the marijuana campaign is Orlando trial attorney John Morgan, whose employees include Democratic gubernatorial front-runner Charlie Crist. "It's no coincidence that John Morgan is pushing this. This is a plan. I think it's problematic for Republicans," said Republican pollster Alex Patton. Because non-presidential elections usually draw low turnout, Patton said, the medical marijuana question has the potential to draw Democratic-leaning voters to the polls who might otherwise skip the election. Patton also said the question could drive a wedge between social conservatives and libertarians in the GOP, hindering Gov. Rick Scott's re-election efforts. "It's one more hurdle that we've got to overcome and lord knows the Republicans need to unite. ... To win a gubernatorial campaign in Florida, we need everyone rowing in the same direction," Patton said. If the marijuana question gets on the ballot, Democratic pollster David Beattie said, its biggest impact would be "to draw some lines between candidates in races." Beattie added: "I don't think it will have a huge impact on turnout. . It could be something that someone uses to drive turnout, but I don't think it does on its own." Crist in a December radio interview called the marijuana question "an issue of compassion" and said "I'm not opposed to it." Scott voiced cautiously worded opposition on Friday. "I have a great deal of empathy for people battling difficult diseases and I understand arguments in favor of this initiative," Scott said in a statement released by the governor's office. "But, having seen the terrible affects of alcohol and drug abuse first-hand, I cannot endorse sending Florida down this path and I would personally vote against it. No matter my personal beliefs, however, a ballot initiative would be up to the voters to decide." If the question goes on the ballot, the wording that voters would see says medical marijuana would be allowed "for individuals with debilitating diseases as determined by a licensed Florida physician." The actual language for the proposed constitutional amendment would allow a physician to prescribe marijuana for nine specific debilitating conditions as well as "other conditions for which a physician believes that the medical use of marijuana would likely outweigh the potential health risks for a patient." Bondi and other critics have argued the "other conditions" language makes the amendment more broad than the wording voters would see on the ballot description. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D