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.
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