Pubdate: Sat, 25 Jan 2014
Source: Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
Page: 1A
Copyright: 2014 Sun-Sentinel Company
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/mVLAxQfA
Website: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/159
Authors: Aaron Deslatte and Scott Powers

MEDICAL POT CLOSER TO BALLOT

Florida Group Gets Enough Signatures

A ballot question that would legalize medical marijuana has collected
enough valid signatures to go before voters later this year, the state
Division of Elections said Friday.

But the measure still must pass muster with the state Supreme Court
before it can bep laced on the ballot this fall.

"You know that country song, 'Jesus, Take the Wheel'? That's all I can
do with the Supreme Court," said Orlando trial lawyer John Morgan, who
chairs the group behind the effort. "It's all in their hands."

The state's website updated its count Friday to show Morgan's group,
People United For Medical Marijuana, had collected 710,508 signatures.
That's more than the 683,000 required by law to appear on the November
general election.

Morgan has spent $2.8 million over the past year to gather the
signatures forthe measure. He said People United turned in the
signatures during the first week of January and was waiting for county
supervisors of elections around the state to validate them.

The Supreme Court is considering challenges raised by Attorney General
Pam Bondi and others who opposed the amendment as misleading. If the
court agrees on any of the critical points of the challenges, the
amendment could be knocked off the November ballot.

The opponents' main argument deals with the amendment's language
authorizing "the medical use of marijuana for individuals with
debilitating diseases as determined by a licensed Florida physician."

The actual ballot language defines "debilitating medical condition" as
diseases such as cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C or "other
conditions for which a physician believes that the medical use of
marijuana would likely outweigh the potential health risks for a patient."

That could allow medical marijuana to be prescribed for anything,
challengers argue. People United's lawyers responded that is not true.

The second challenge involves Bondi's assertion that the ballot
language is confusing when it references federal law, not making it
clear that it still will hold medical marijuana as illegal, regardless
of what Florida law says.

In addition to Bondi, the Florida Chamber of Commerce, GOP legislative
leaders and several statewide lobbying groups, including those
representing police chiefs and sheriffs, filed opposition briefs with
the court, which must rule by April 1 for the measure to make the ballot.  
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