Pubdate: Sun, 26 Apr 2015
Source: Tampa Tribune (FL)
Copyright: 2015 The Tribune Co.
Contact: http://tbo.com/list/news-opinion-letters/submit/
Website: http://tbo.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/446
Author: John G. Chase
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v15/n220/a09.html

NOTHING TO BE AFRAID OF

Regarding "State's medical pot law takes hit" (Other Views. April 21):
Cerise Naylor tactfully understates the selfishness of those who have
kept sick children horn getting life-saving marijuana.

I would not have been so tactful.

The problems began when legislators, who had all come of age in
marijuana prohibition, wrote Senate SB1030 as a restrictive bill
focused on business, control and fear of voter reaction a=C2=80" not on
compassion. If they had consulted a few of the first 12 states, with a
combined 146 years of experience, they'd have known that Florida has
nothing to fear from medical marijuana.

Peer-reviewed studies of those 12 by medical experts, criminologists
and economists confirm public safety actually improves. (Personal
cultivation is arguably the reason for the rapid collapse of their
street markets.)

Now, to their credit, legislators are writing SB 7066 to modify SB
1030. But SB 7066 should be more like Amendment 2, supported by 58
percent of Florida voters in November. It needs three things common to
all of the first states: a mechanism for adding eligible
ailments/conditions; personal cultivation; and smoking allowed.

Next year legislators can add things like reciprocity with other
states, child custody protections, housing protections and privacy
standards.

Maine's 1995 law should be their guide.

John G. Chase

Palm Harbor
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MAP posted-by: Matt