Pubdate: Fri, 03 Oct 2014
Source: Pensacola News Journal (FL)
Copyright: 2014 The Pensacola News Journal
Contact: http://www.pnj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=OPINION0301
Website: http://www.pnj.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1675
Author: Will Isern

MEDICAL MARIJUANA DISCUSSED AT FORUM

Medical marijuana is coming.

The question is, who's going to be able to get it?

In June, Gov. Rick Scott signed the Compassionate Medical Cannabis 
Act of 2014, which will allow a limited selection of patients to 
receive treatments derived from a non-euphoric strain of marijuana 
known as "Charlotte's Web" to treat conditions such as epilepsy, Lou 
Gehrig's disease and cancer.

That law is set to take effect Jan 1, 2015.

Separately, Florida voters will have the opportunity to weigh in on 
Amendment 2 on the Nov. 4 ballot, which would allow for a much wider 
prescribing of medical marijuana and, critics say, set the state on a 
path to become like Washington and Colorado where recreational 
marijuana shops can be found on every other block.

With two very different measures regarding medical marijuana coming 
through different avenues of the state's legal system, and the 
controversial nature of medical marijuana itself, there is some 
confusion, not to mention misinformation, floating around the debate.

It's that confusion that a panel attempted to address Thursday night 
to a crowd of about 60 people at the West Florida Public Library on 
Spring Street.

The panel was made of up Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fort Walton Beach), 
Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan, primary care physician Dr. 
Joseph Rosado, neurologist Dr. J. Ben Renfroe, and epilepsy patient 
Whilhelm Perez.

The forum was hosted by the Epilepsy Foundation of Florida, who have 
advocated for the passage of medical marijuana legislation for 
epilepsy patients as it has been shown to significantly reduce 
seizures in some patients.

"We just hope to provide factual, objective information because 
they're hearing all these different sides of the story," said 
Epilepsy Foundation of Florida CEO Karen Basha Egozi. "We just want 
people to be informed so they can make an informed decision."

Though the forum was intended to address the merits of medical 
marijuana as a treatment for epilepsy patients, much of the time was 
spent differentiating between Amendment 2 and the Compassionate 
Medical Cannabis Act, and delving into the legal minutia of 
implementing either measure.

Early on, Gaetz and Morgan sought to distance themselves from Amendment 2.

"We don't want Florida to become the next Colorado," Morgan said.

"We've seen how (that amendment language) plays out," Gaetz said. 
"There is an open door for recreational use, and that's why I won't 
be voting for Amendment 2."

The doctors on the panel agreed that more research is needed into the 
viability of marijuana as a medicine, which has since been hindered 
in American because of the federal government's categorization of 
marijuana as a Schedule I drug, higher than cocaine and morphine.

Perez was the only panel member to explicitly express support for Amendment 2.

"Can't we at least try it and tweak it if it doesn't work?" he asked.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom