Pubdate: Fri, 03 Oct 2014
Source: Daytona Beach News-Journal (FL)
Copyright: 2014 News-Journal Corporation
Contact:  http://www.news-journalonline.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/700
Note: gives priority to local writers
Author: Jeffrey Cassady

MORGAN MAKES CASE FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA

DAYTONA BEACH - John Morgan, the prominent Orlando personal injury 
attorney, is confident Floridians will approve a ballot initiative he 
champions that would allow for medical marijuana use in the state. 
But, he expects the fight to get a lot tougher as the Nov. 4 election 
approaches.

Morgan and Miami-based lobbyist Benjamin Pollara, who manages the 
pro-medical marijuana group United for Care, met with The 
News-Journal's editorial board Thursday to discuss the initiative.

Morgan said United for Care's most-recent polling showed that 67 to 
69 percent of Floridians supported medical marijuana, but that was 
before opponents took to the airwaves across the state with ads 
critical of the initiative. For the measure to pass, 60 percent of 
voters must approve it.

Pollara said he expects approval numbers to fall over the next month 
as Floridians are exposed to "an onslaught of negative ads" regarding 
the initiative.

"But, I think we will win," Pollara said. "Most people have a 
personal connection to this issue."

The proposed amendment would allow doctors to recommend marijuana for 
patients suffering from "debilitating medical conditions."

The amendment names several such conditions, including glaucoma and 
cancer, but also grants doctors the ability to recommend marijuana 
for "other conditions" if the doctor believes the benefits of 
marijuana outweigh the health risks.

Opponents of the amendment, like Volusia County Sheriff Ben Johnson, 
say the "other conditions" language would enable doctors to recommend 
marijuana for almost any patient.

Johnson told The News-Journal's editorial board last month he worries 
that some doctors would recommend marijuana for patients who say 
they're suffering from headaches and other minor ailments.

Morgan dismissed that argument Thursday, saying that doctor 
recommendations would have to be approved by the state, which would 
identify and investigate physicians who frequently make questionable 
recommendations.

He said addictive painkillers - which he argues are far more 
dangerous than marijuana - are already legal and unscrupulous doctors 
could prescribe them for aches and other minor ailments.

"It's the lesser of two evils," Morgan said of medical marijuana.

"If you had to have a bad doc, would you rather him be bad by 
prescribing OxyContin that can kill you and will definitely hook you? 
Or would you rather him be bad by prescribing medical marijuana?"

Morgan and Pollara also addressed criticism that the amendment would 
enable minors to get doctor recommendations for medical marijuana 
without parental consent.

Pollara noted that in most cases minors in Florida are already barred 
from consenting to their own medical care.

"I'm sure John has a couple hundred lawyers who would be happy to sue 
a doctor if they treated your minor child without your consent," Pollara said.
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