Pubdate: Wed, 08 Oct 2014
Source: Tampa Tribune (FL)
Copyright: 2014 The Tribune Co.
Contact: http://tbo.com/list/news-opinion-letters/submit/
Website: http://tbo.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/446
Author: Elizabeth Behrman, Tribune staff
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Marijuana - Medicinal)

SURVEY: POT LAW JUST FIRST STEP

66% Say Approval of Medicinal Use Would Yield Total
Legalization

TAMPA -Recent survey results show that Floridians seemed to have been
paying attention when residents in Colorado and Washington voted to
approve the medicinal and, later, the recreational use of marijuana.

Sixty-six percent of those who responded to the annual Sunshine State
Survey, conducted by the University of South Florida, said they think
that passing a constitutional amendment legalizing medical marijuana
would soon lead to voters' approval of all marijuana use.

'Some people are happy that it might lead to legalization, and some
are opposed to it,' said Susan MacManus, a USF political scientist and
the survey's director. 'But people are aware of the potential
first-step nature of the medical marijuana amendment if it passes.'
The fifth of six portions of the annual survey was released Tuesday,
and it included the sections that focused on health, race relations,
the upcoming elections and transportation.

Most of the people surveyed who said they think medical marijuana will
lead to the legalization of recreational marijuana were between the
ages of 18 and 34, according to the data. Seventy-three percent of
them are employed full time, and about 75 percent of them live in the
Miami and Palm Beach media markets.

Twenty-nine percent of the people who took the survey said they didn't
think legalizing medical marijuana would lead to the acceptance of
recreational marijuana. Five percent of responders said they weren't
sure or refused to answer.

Of the people who answered no, 52 percent were employed part time and
43 percent lived in the Naples area media market, the data show.

MacManus said she doesn't know why two-thirds of the people surveyed
feel that way about legalizing medical marijuana. It could be that
they know that was the series of events in Washington and Colorado,
MacManus said. The rise of pill mills across the state could also have
led them to believe that recreational use will grow out of the medicinal.

'We don't know why they think like they do,' MacManus said. 'We didn't
ask that question. All we know is that these people are more inclined
to think that it will lead to that next step.' What she found most
interesting about this year's Sunshine State Survey results was that
55 percent of the responders - a 7 percent increase over last year -
said they don't think they get enough information about constitutional
amendments before they vote on them. This year there will be three
amendments on the ballot, including Amendment 2, which would legalize
medical marijuana.

Groups and individuals that oppose passing Amendment 2 have argued
that legalizing medical marijuana would lead to more use of pot overall.

Calvina Fay, executive director of the Drug Free America Foundation in
St. Petersburg, said in a statement Tuesday afternoon that Amendment 2
is a 'de facto legalization' of all marijuana.

'If Amendment 2 were to pass, we have no doubt that it would be widely
abused to allow pretty much anyone to use it,' she said. 'We also have
no doubt that the drug legalization advocates would be right back
pushing the envelope for full blown legalization just as they have
done in other states that have fallen for the scam of legalizing pot
under the guise of medicine.' But Ben Pollara, executive director of
United for Care Campaign and a supporter of legalized medical
marijuana, said he thinks the survey results would be more informative
if the responders were asked more specific questions about the issue,
in addition to that one.

'It's interesting,' he said. 'But it's not terribly relevant.' And the
fact that mostly young people think it would lead to the legalization
of recreational marijuana may show some 'wishful thinking' on their
part, Pollara said.

'I don't think there's really much you can read from it,' he said. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard