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Medical Marijuana Will be on the Ballot

January 28th, 2016 by flanews

Floridians will be voting for a president…and marijuana policy this year. As Matt Galka tells us, a medical marijuana ballot initiative is back, and state lawmakers are weighing in.

Marijuana advocates came within just about 2 percent of the vote in 2014 for a ballot initiative that would have legalized medical marijuana.

Two years later…Florida voters will once again decide the fate of medical cannabis in the state.  A ballot initiative surpassed the number of signatures needed and will be on the November ticket.

Representative Matt Gaetz helped pass a limited medical marijuana law in 2014. He says a constitutional amendment ties lawmakers hands.

“Part of the problem with putting cannabis policy in the constitution is that as the science evolves, we become constrained in making sure that the application of that cannabis is efficient and effective as possible,” he said.

Senator Rob Bradley also helped craft the same limited bill.  He believes it gives a good framework incase the amendment passes this time around.

“We’ve been dealing with it since 2014, there’s bills running this year that put us in a position that, if the time comes a constitutional amendment passes, Florida is ready,” he said.

Marijauna advocates in the state legislature feel it was a missed opportunity.

Senator Jeff Clemens has been trying to legalize medical marijuana since 2011.  He’s disappointed lawmakers couldn’t get out in front of the issue.

“We’re requiring the public to do what we couldn’t do up here and still can’t do,” said Clemens.

The ballot initiative would allow doctors to prescribe medical marijuana to patients with illneses like HIV/AIDs, epilepsy and cancer.

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