A panel of marijuana experts addressed addiction counselors Wednesday, describing the dangers of medical marijuana in Florida. The 9th Annual Conference on Addictive Disorders at the Harborside Event Center in Fort Myers brought together counselors in workshops on mental health treatment, gambling compulsion, domestic violence and the use of prescription drugs. According to Calvina Fay, executive director of the Drug Free America Foundation and St. Petersburg-based Save our Society from Drugs lobby, the movement to legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes is being carried out by the same groups who've tried legalizing the drug for decades. [continues 446 words]
Advocates across the state are trying to legalize medical marijuana in Florida. More than a dozen states have enacted laws that legalize medical marijuana, yet the contentious nature of the issue could put a wrench in the People United For Medical Marijuana's statewide campaign. Kim Russell, chairman of PUFMM, said organizers are circulating a petition for the 2010 electoral ballot asking residents to legalize medical marijuana. They are looking for signatures to expand the right of growing, purchasing and possessing marijuana for medical needs. [continues 508 words]
Tighter Budget Forces Cuts Although its future was uncertain, the Lee County Sheriff's Office announced Tuesday that Sheriff Mike Scott and top administrators managed to reshuffle funds in order to preserve the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program. Damaging economic factors such as the foreclosure crisis and decreased state revenue forced the sheriff's office to make difficult decisions on which programs needed to be cut. DARE was originally on the chopping block, but the sheriff's office managed to consolidate some programs and raise the funding needed. [continues 299 words]