Shame! Florida Legislature Intent On Thwarting Voters On Medical Marijuana

 

BY BUDDY NEVINS

 

 

The current session of the Florida Legislature could be one of the worst in recent memory, as members frantically work to gut Constitutional Amendments passed by voters.

The non-partisan anti-gerrymandering amendment was approved by 63 percent seven years ago. Lawmakers never liked it.  They never liked being unable to carve districts to guarantee their own re-elections. So they have fought all session to water down the measure.

The solar power amendment, passed by 73 percent last year? Bowing to the big campaign contributions from Florida Power & Light, lawmakers have worked to eviscerate it.

But it is the very popular medical marijuana amendment that has run into perhaps the most trouble, despite being approved by 72 percent last year.

Republican leaders have allowed the Drug Free America Foundation to literally write the rules governing medical marijuana.

Yup, they lost at the polls with their outdated views. So a handful of conservative Republicans have decided to ignore the public.

As this is written the law is still in flux. It appears that among provisions still being discussed are a 90-day waiting period for prescriptions along with other restrictive language that make it more difficult for patients to utilize the drug.

State Rep. Katie Edwards, the Plantation Democrat who has been perhaps the Legislature’s most passionate advocate of medical marijuana, has had enough!

During a recent House committee meeting, her voice broke (starting at around 2:30 in the video below) when talking about how she had to tell patients like her cousin that they faced more and more delays.

“People are still waiting…I can’t keep apologizing,” Edwards told fellow House members.

While medical marijuana was tied up in knots, the House has found time to pass a bill allowing superstores like Wal-Mart to sell liquor. Currently liquor stores in Florida must be separate entities with a separate entrance, but Wal-Mart has long sought to end that restriction. Publix and independent stores like ABC Liquor fought it.

It is no surprise to anyone who has watched the dysfunctional Florida Legislature in action that House Speaker Richard Corcoran’s brother is a Wal-Mart lobbyist.

That the House Speaker’s brother is allowed to lobby state lawmakers says everything you need to know about the Florida Legislature.

The only good news this session may be this:  Florida Legislature is due to adjourn next week.

 

 



8 Responses to “Shame! Florida Legislature Intent On Thwarting Voters On Medical Marijuana”

  1. Wayne Arnold says:

    It’s a damn shame that the “Porkchopper Mentality” still exist in the Florida Legislature. Today they dress better and have polished up their political skills but they still think like the politicians around the time when I was a boy walking the woods and cow paths in North Florida. And, to make matters worse they are in session every year. Back in the day it was once every two years. They had less time to stick to the folks with amendment after amendment watering down the whole concept that the voters back home voted for. Unfortunately, I don’t believe it will change anytime soon.

  2. Floridan says:

    Wasn’t term limits supposed to supposed to make legislators more responsible to the electorate?

    What a joke. Now the legislators can do just about anything they want — they’ll be gone before they are called to account.

  3. Obama says:

    The courts will end up writing the medical marijuana rules.

  4. Sober as a Judge says:

    Did sappy music accompany her original testimony, or was it added later for a little extra zip?

  5. Dad to three says:

    Let’s not forget the Land buying amendment or class size, which the Legislature has also been busy gutting or misinterpreting to meet the needs of the Republican Party and their Masters. This can be blamed of the Legislature, where the blame belongs, but the Democrats would be doing the same shenanigans if they controlled.
    These Party’s need to set aside their hatred for each other and act in the best interest of Florida and Floridians. Not going to happen, so the best we could hope for would be a closer balance in the Legislature between Party’s that might either lead to better compromise or deadlock.

    Too bad there are no adults to supervise what has become a Nursery

  6. Homer Salisbury says:

    Thank you Buddy; I left a follow-up to a troll or to the Semblers themselves!!! in another post it reads: Young people don’t have to line up. It is, and always has been available to adults and children everywhere in Florida, Along with a hell of a lot of worse drugs, narcotics comes to mind. To strictly regulate MMJ all the House and Senate are doing is making sure that the “One Percenters” can have a choice of the best MMJ available. The real answer in my “opinion” is to legalize it, tax it let the people over 21 that want to use it or need it for medicine, grow their own and make strict laws and I mean “STRICT” Laws against anyone giving it to a person under 21 (other than a Doctor for a Real medical purpose). This would make it a lot harder for children to get their hands on it and the black market to make a dollar. The benefits would more than out way any harm. The way it is now is “ALL ABOUT MONEY” Private Prisons, drug Manufactures, Pharmacy’s (Publics food and Drug’s 800,000 contribution to NO ON 2) The Semblers Rehabs, look up what they did to teenagers in their programs. Sheldon Alderson and the list goes on. Lets not forget where the campaign contributions came from to the ones sponsoring the bills in the house and senate now. It is time for a serious change of the politician’s elected in Tallahassee that blatantly go against the peoples Will and only make regulations to line their and their contributors Pockets.

  7. City Activist Robert Walsh says:

    Enough already. Such Bs. My friend who has a pot card(its easy they tell me you pay $95.00 bucks, you see the Md(wait). you tell the doc you can’t sllep ,say nervous and presto you get the card). Not so fast my friend tells me its slike smoking rag weed. Anyhow lets get movin. This passed over 70%. Should be able to buy my pot gummie berries at 7/11. Think of all th emoney you’ll make mayor. Than maybe,maybe you will lower the milledge rate. (heard you tell the lady on 2800 E.sunrise to pay the road(no way ,get movin). Anyhow this legislature in talle suck. Is anything going to get done. Oh yes , we said we were sorry for the slavery(which was wait in the 1800s,Stay in today-come on-elected officals. Get movin….

  8. She ain't one of us says:

    Edwards actually bears some of the responsibility for the problems of implementing the will of the Florida voters. It was she and her Republican cohort Matt Gaetz who pushed through legislation during the medical marijuana amendment campaign which cobbled the soon to be industry with restrictions and poor market competition. Had she supported the campaign, its principles, and the will of Florida voters there would not be a cartel of nurseries and their team of lobbyists trying so hard to prevent competition in the marketplace which will keep the drug affordable to those who need it. Costa Farms donated handsomely to her 2016 campaign right out of the starting blocks from multiple entities. It is no mystery that the handful of licensed nurseries in the State are behind many of the horrible state amendments and local lobbying efforts to curtail competition and access. Had she not proffered her problematic legislation and let the people make the decisions in the voting booth we might be much further along at this point. It is a joke to promote her efforts on medical marijuana as a champion when she actually sought to undermine the campaign which was taking place.