Katie Edwards Tackles Tough Marijuana Bill
BY BUDDY NEVINS
State Rep. Katie Edwards, D-Plantation, has turned defeat into victory.
Most lawmakers hide when their bill is killed.
Edwards was all over the television and print media this week talking about her bill to legalize medical marijuana, which was deep sixed by the Legislature.
Katie Edwards
Other legislators were frightened even to allow medical marijuana have a committee vote. Most Florida lawmakers are scared they will be labeled pro-drugs if they even talk about it.
Medical marijuana is an idea whose time has come, but not in Tallahassee.
Much of the Legislature seem deaf to the pleas of cancer patients and others with serious chronic conditions. These are people that want a natural, safe way to relieve pain. These are people who are looking for an alternative to drugs like oxycodone.
Deafness to the voters is nothing new in Tallahassee. The Florida Legislature has a history of being one step behind the rest of the state and the country.
Many of the most controversial measures were ducked by gutless lawmakers or killed by lobbyists. Then voters petitioned to put them on a ballot and passed them into law.
All these were passed in a statewide referendum and not by the Legislature: The state lottery (1986), the indoor smoking ban (2002), class size amendment (2002), term limits (1992), the minimum wage (2004), slot machine legalization in Dade and Broward (2004) and the Everglades trust fund (1996).
I wonder if Edwards would have supported these ideas against the Leadership — Democrat and Republican. I think she would have stood up for the people. Judging from her stance on medical marijuana, she is a different kind of legislator, willing to take on issues that are unpopular in Tallahassee.
“I think this really is a missed opportunity by our Legislature to address something that really needs to be talked about,” she said about medical marijuana.
She says she will be back with the bill next session. And the next session after that. And the next session after that.
Someday the Republican Leadership of the Legislature will listen to the rest of Florida and listen to Edwards on medical marijuana.
April 2nd, 2013 at 7:11 pm
Florida Congressman Alan Grayson (Orlando area) has a well-earned national reputation as a Democrat who courageously speaks the truth. Now Katie Edwards is bringing that same honesty and courage to South Florida! 🙂
The Legislature has recently imposed onerous requirements on citizen-initiated amendments which greatly raise their costs and reduce their chances of success. But as we saw last November, legislators made it very easy to get THEIR numerous and lengthy amendment proposals onto the ballot, much to the dismay of voters 🙁
Katie Edwards is a breath of fresh air. She is exactly what we need much, much more of in Tallahassee! 🙂 🙂 🙂
April 2nd, 2013 at 7:58 pm
The Florida Legislature is so far behind the curve. Public opinion is on the side of passing this into law.
What we forget is the potential for revenue from this. It is immense. Think of the money that is made from liquor, which was also a banned substance and while outlawed created an entire criminal organization that feed off of prohibition. By legalizing Marijuana you cut off a revenue stream for a large portion of the drug cartels. Rep. Edwards is moving forward, the Legislature keeps going either backwards or is traveling with it’s head in the ground.
April 2nd, 2013 at 8:16 pm
She has my vote
April 2nd, 2013 at 8:47 pm
Why are they afraid to be labeled pro drug when 70% of floridians support it?
April 2nd, 2013 at 8:51 pm
guess florida doesn’t want to be in the same group as colorado, california, washington (did I leave any out) states seeing revenue potential from ‘medical marijuana’, or whatever euphamism we want to call it
April 2nd, 2013 at 10:10 pm
Please don’t compare Alan Grayson the nut job to Katie Edwards. Your insulting her.
April 2nd, 2013 at 11:04 pm
FROM BUDDY:
If the Legislature doesn’t do something, voters will. Here is the web address of an organization already gearing up to collect petitions for a referendum on medical marijuana.
http://www.unitedforcare.org
April 2nd, 2013 at 11:32 pm
Put it on the ballot and decimate the repugs
April 3rd, 2013 at 12:04 am
She’s hot
April 3rd, 2013 at 8:29 am
Important decisions should be put to a public vote instead of the legislature deciding for us.
April 3rd, 2013 at 2:18 pm
@ John, She is hot, she has a boyfriendand she is right about this bill.
April 3rd, 2013 at 5:47 pm
Is Katie more concerned about medical marijuana care for those in need of such or just looking out for her ag friends she represented at the Farm Bureau who see a new cash crop? Just asking? I’m not against the people deciding but let’s make sure everything is in the open.
April 4th, 2013 at 5:52 pm
http://www.people-press.org/2013/04/04/majority-now-supports-legalizing-marijuana/
Majority Now Supports Legalizing Marijuana
Released: April 4, 2013
For the first time in more than four decades of polling on the issue, a majority of Americans favor legalizing the use of marijuana. A national survey finds that 52% say that the use of marijuana should be made legal while 45% say it should not. […]