Pubdate: Thu, 31 Jul 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 Author: Phil Latzman Page: 13A SUPPORT FOR MARIJUANA WILL INFLUENCE ELECTIONS Forget about Rick Scott and Charlie Crist duking it out over who makes the better governor. It's the fight over marijuana legalization that serves as the backdrop for the elections in Florida this fall. With polls showing more than 60 percent of voters support the legalization of medical marijuana, Florida may soon venture into the weeds by joining 23 other states and the District of Columbia in passing laws that make different varieties of pot partially legal. The Florida Right to Medical Marijuana Initiative, Amendment 2 on your ballot, asks residents if they would allow"the medical use of marijuana for individuals with debilitating diseases as determined by a licensed Florida physician." A Quinnipiac University poll out this week shows its passage may be politically inevitable. Nearly nine-in-10 Floridians support the use of medical marijuana, seemingly making the six-in-10 majority needed for passage a slam dunk. The ballot question is dripping with political implications, particularly for Democrats and especially if Crist wins the primary as expected over former state Sen. Nan Rich. The initiative got on the ballot due to the backing of John Morgan, the Orlando based personal injury attorney who reportedly spent $4 million of his own stash on the measure. He also happens to be Crist's old boss. He hired the former governor during his Republican-to-Democrat transition phase, following his failed bid for the U.S. Senate in 2010. If Crist is reelected, he'd be indebted to Morgan. But there is plenty of ambiguity among Democrats. While Crist's primary opponent supports the measure, the Dems' top dog in South Florida does not. Congresswoman and Democratic National Committee chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz has come out against Amendment 2. She's concerned the ballot question is worded too broadly and lacks proper regulatory oversight. She is one of only 18 in her party who voted against a U.S. House bill that would have limited the federal government's ability to crack down on states that have legalized medical marijuana. On a national level, President Barack Obama has wavered on the legalization issue. At one point, he remarked that marijuana was less dangerous than alcohol and should go forward. However, his administration has been reluctant to advance the cause. On the White House website it states: "It is not always easy to find the latest, research-based information on marijuana to answer the common questions about its health effects, or the differences between federal and state laws concerning the drug. Confusing messages being presented by popular culture, media, proponents of "medical" marijuana, and political campaigns to legalize all marijuana use perpetuate the false notion that marijuana is harmless." On the other end of the political spectrum is an outsider who has wagered millions against Democrats. Las Vegas casino mogul Sheldon Adelson has chipped in $2.5 million to double down against Florida's Amendment 2. Rick Scott, the state's Republican governor, is stumping against it, linking marijuana to alcohol and other dangerous drugs. However, he did sign a bill that passed the GOP-led Florida Legislature this year that allows for the use of a non-euphoric strain of marijuana-called "Charlotte's Web"- to treat some cancers, and diseases such as epilepsy and ALS. This pot is low in THC, the ingredient that produces a high. Florida's medical marijuana ballot initiative would allow for higher levels ofTHC. The Quinnipiac survey also indicates Floridians are ready to inhale for fun, with 55 percent saying adults should be allowed to legally possess small amounts of marijuana for personal use. This year, Colorado and Washington became the first states to allow the sale of cannabis for recreational use. The results have so far been mixed, with tax revenues not as high as expected. If Amendment 2 passes in Florida, its endorsement from the nation's biggest swing state could make it a major issue in the next presidential race. So as the smoke clears in Florida this November, America will be watching. - --- MAP posted-by: Matt