Pubdate: Mon, 19 May 2014 Source: Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, FL) Copyright: 2014 Sun-Sentinel Company Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/mVLAxQfA Website: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/159 Page: 12 CHARLOTTE'S WEB, A GOOD FIRST STEP Never say never in Florida, legalizing medical marijuana. Never say give up, either. It is good news that in the final week of the legislative session, lawmakers embraced the legal use of Charlotte's Web, a buzz-free strain of weed that is a miracle come true for children with debilitating seizures. And because of a last-minute amendment, Charlotte's Web, which will only be available in oil form, also could be prescribed to some patients who suffer from cancer, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis and other severe ailments. Gov. Rick Scott says he will sign the bill. Not only is it the right thing to do, it also comes with tight controls over who qualifies and how it would be dispensed. And it could help create the regulatory mechanism needed if the broader issue of medical marijuana is approved - as expected - by voters in November. Early in the session, all bets were off that lawmakers would touch anything to do with marijuana. In an election year, it was presumed that conservative lawmakers didn't want their names anywhere near the issue. But there is growing public support to let doctors prescribe medical marijuana to people with debilitating diseases, including those who are undergoing chemotherapy and get little relief from anti-nausea pills. Polls show eight out of 10 Floridians support the legalization of medical marijuana. And some think the Legislature's last-minute change of heart might undercut their political pull to the polls. State Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach, key sponsor, said he hopes Charlotte's Web will satisfy the public. But clinical trials and patients' experience indicate that smoking medical marijuana better controls the vomiting and unhealthy weight loss that can come with treatment for diseases, such as cancer and AIDS. In signaling his support for Charlotte's Web, Gov, Scott said that as "a parent and a grandparent, I always worry about any family, making sure if they're suffering they get the health care they need." With proper controls, the governor should also lend his support to family members whose only relief comes from the smokable version of medical marijuana. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom