[Sandtrap328]

This amendment got defeated four years ago and is back on the ballot.

I am definitely in favor of making medical marijuana available for those in chronic pain. I am not talking about those types we have seen on Judge Judy who are saying they have a marijuana card and smoke all the time.

I am talking of seniors and others that we all know who are in chronic pain from cancer or other debilitating disease.

Sure, there will be some misuse but the overall good outweighs the few bad apples.

[karostay]

Abuse won't be any greater than the Florida pill mills

[Carl in Tampa]

The Florida Legislature has already made medical marijuana legal. Statutes & Constitution:View Statutes: Online Sunshine

Amendment 2 is simply an unnecessary attempt to embed it into the Constitution to make it more difficult to modify the law if a need is seen later.

I voted NO.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by Carl in Tampa

The Florida Legislature has already made medical marijuana legal. Statutes & Constitution:View Statutes: Online Sunshine

Amendment 2 is simply an unnecessary attempt to embed it into the Constitution to make it more difficult to modify the law if a need is seen later.

I voted NO.

As usual. I am in complete agreement with your post.

[wendyquat]

No, no and no!

[jane032657]

In Washington State, marijuana is legal and there are shops everywhere. They advertise a 10% senior discount, so your AARP card really is accepted everywhere!

[Sandtrap328]

Originally Posted by jane032657

In Washington State, marijuana is legal and there are shops everywhere. They advertise a 10% senior discount, so your AARP card really is accepted everywhere!

Sounds forward thinking and not regressive.

[Northwoods]

I don't get it.... if the Florida Legislature has already make it legal, what is the point of amendment?

[manaboutown]

Smoking marijuana can cause the heartbeat to increase from 20 to 50 beats per minute for up to three hours, loss of short term memory and IQ and adversely affects one's body in many ways. THC affects one's judgment and remains in the body for up to 28 days. I suppose if I were dying of cancer and had only a short time to live but wanted relief from pain I might use it...but otherwise no way.

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by Sandtrap328

This amendment got defeated four years ago and is back on the ballot.
I am definitely in favor of making medical marijuana available for those in chronic pain. I am talking of seniors and others that we all know who are in chronic pain from cancer or other debilitating disease.
Sure, there will be some misuse but the overall good outweighs the few bad apples.

[rubicon]

This issue is being pushed in the name of altruism and a medical miracle both of which are misleading but positioned to gain an emotional response from voters. The main goal for getting this passed is to make way for the legalization of recreational marijuana. We have serious national drug problem now and all that goes with it.
Like other illnesses there certainly are many other options available. However those who seek profits from marijuana mislead by shining a light on this one option.

Too many voters are not doing their due diligence and we should have all learned the consequences when the Speaker stated "we have to pass it to know what's in it." Well I know what's in this ballot and its a path way to legal recreational use I will never lend my support and the last 8 years have demonstrated that our governments are corrupt to the core

[RickeyD]

The doom and gloom experts have been proven wrong regarding the passage of legalization for recreational marijuana in Washington and Colorado 2 years ago.

Here’s how legal pot changed Colorado and Washington - The Washington Post

[ColdNoMore]

While I do neither, I can tell you that personally I would much rather be around someone who smokes pot...than consumes alcohol.

Almost all of the pot smokers I've seen tend to sit around giggling and looking for something to eat, while a large % of those who I see get drunk become belligerent...and it is also a leading cause of domestic violence.

I think all too many people of our age still actually believe that crazy and pure fiction documentary....'Reefer Madness.'


While this link is obviously pro-marijuana, it's points are still valid.

7 facts that prove alcohol is way more dangerous than marijuana - Salon.com

1. Many people die from alcohol use. Nobody dies from marijuana use. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that more than 37,000 annual U.S. deaths are attributed to alcohol use alone (this figure does not include accidental deaths). On the other hand, the CDC does not even have a category for deaths caused by the use of marijuana.

2. People die from alcohol overdoses. There has never been a fatal marijuana overdose. The official publication of the Scientific Research Society, American Scientist, reported that alcohol is one of the most toxic drugs and using just 10 times what one would use to get the desired effect could lead to death. Marijuana is one of – if not the – least toxic drugs, requiring thousands of times the dose one would use to get the desired effect to lead to death. This “thousands of times” is actually theoretical, since there has never been a case of an individual dying from a marijuana overdose. Meanwhile, according to the CDC, hundreds of alcohol overdose deaths occur in the United States each year.

3. The health-related costs associated with alcohol use far exceed those for marijuana use. Health-related costs for alcohol consumers are eight times greater than those for marijuana consumers, according to an assessment recently published in the British Columbia Mental Health and Addictions Journal. More specifically, the annual health-related cost of alcohol consumption is $165 per user, compared to just $20 per user for marijuana. This should not come as a surprise given the vast amount of research that shows alcohol poses far more – and more significant – health problems than marijuana.

4. Alcohol use damages the brain. Marijuana use does not. Despite the myths we’ve heard throughout our lives about marijuana killing brain cells, it turns out that a growing number of studies seem to indicate that marijuana actually has neuroprotective properties. This means that it works to protect brain cells from harm. For example, one recent study found that teens who used marijuana as well as alcohol suffered significantly less damage to the white matter in their brains. Of course, what is beyond question is that alcohol damages brain cells.

5. Alcohol use is linked to cancer. Marijuana use is not. Alcohol use is associated with a wide variety of cancers, including cancers of the esophagus, stomach, colon, lungs, pancreas, liver, and prostate. Marijuana use has not been conclusively associated with any form of cancer. In fact, one study recently contradicted the long-time government claim that marijuana use is associated with head and neck cancers. It found that marijuana use actually reduced the likelihood of head and neck cancers. If you are concerned about marijuana being associated with lung cancer, you may be interested in the results of the largest case-controlled study ever conducted to investigate the respiratory effects of marijuana smoking and cigarette smoking. Released in 2006, the study, conducted by Dr. Donald Tashkin at the University of California at Los Angeles, found that marijuana smoking was not associated with an increased risk of developing lung cancer. Surprisingly, the researchers found that people who smoked marijuana actually had lower incidences of cancer compared to non-users of the drug.

6. Alcohol is more addictive than marijuana. Addiction researchers have consistently reported that marijuana is far less addictive than alcohol based on a number of factors. In particular, alcohol use can result in significant and potentially fatal physical withdrawal, whereas marijuana has not been found to produce any symptoms of physical withdrawal. Those who use alcohol are also much more likely to develop dependence and build tolerance.

7. Alcohol use increases the risk of injury to the consumer. Marijuana use does not. Many people who have consumed alcohol, or know others who have consumed alcohol, would not be surprised to hear that it greatly increases the risk of serious injury. Research published in 2011 in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research found that 36% of hospitalized assaults and 21% of all injuries are attributable to alcohol use by the injured person. Meanwhile, the American Journal of Emergency Medicine reported that lifetime use of marijuana is rarely associated with emergency room visits. According to the British Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, this is because: “Cannabis differs from alcohol … in one major respect. It does not seem to increase risk-taking behavior. This means that cannabis rarely contributes to violence either to others or to oneself, whereas alcohol use is a major factor in deliberate self-harm, domestic accidents and violence.” Interestingly enough, some research has even shown that marijuana use has been associated with a decreased risk of injury.

IMHO, this country would be better off overall making alcohol illegal...and marijuana legal.

Flame suit on for the inevitable attacks...by those who love to drink.

[ColdNoMore]

Originally Posted by rubicon

This issue is being pushed in the name of altruism and a medical miracle both of which are misleading but positioned to gain an emotional response from voters. The main goal for getting this passed is to make way for the legalization of recreational marijuana. We have serious national drug problem now and all that goes with it.

We have a much larger national problem with alcohol than we do with marijuana (I'm not talking about the more serious drugs such as meth/cocaine/ecstasy/heroin/etc), so are you advocating that we make alcohol illegal again?

If so, I personally wouldn't have a problem with that...and it looks like we agree on at least one thing.

Originally Posted by rubicon

Like other illnesses there certainly are many other options available. However those who seek profits from marijuana mislead by shining a light on this one option.

Too many voters are not doing their due diligence and we should have all learned the consequences when the Speaker stated "we have to pass it to know what's in it." Well I know what's in this ballot and its a path way to legal recreational use.

And so what if recreational use does occur?

I agree that 'true due diligence,' an examination of the facts and not just knee-jerk emotional responses...are what is really needed.

I'm not too confident however, that will ever occur...since all too many have their bias' set in stone.

Originally Posted by rubicon

I will never lend my support and the last 8 years have demonstrated that our governments are corrupt to the core

So you really believe that it's only been in "the last 8 years, that our government(s) (sic) have become corrupt to the core?"

[bbbbbb]

Well here we go. Meds are Meds and that is well established. If the weed is for Med only and strictly controlled, OK.

However if the Weed is recreational then it fits in with the Recreational booze, call it what you want.
We lived on the West Coast. Weed is actually ruining a small town we lived in. Weed is prevalent, the cops are smoking it, the City councilmen smoke it. There are four dispensaries in town, it is rampant, the high School kids are smoking it on lunch break, we saw this, this is not hearsay. Already they are having major car wrecks in parking lots and slow speed zones, it is causing Chaos. We were in a program where we advised and tutored High School Students on how to get into college and how to find financial aid. It is a great program. Aspire is the name. We had boys and girls who were into the program and when they started the weed use,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, THEY DROPPED OUT.

Here in this lovely place, Recreational booze is already a problem, the drinking and driving is very popular, how does someone sit on a bar stool for two hours putting them down the hatch and then do they walk home? No, I do not think so, how many seniors do you see walking around long distances after the happy hours are over?
We have friends who just came here to find a home. This is their second trip. Now they are now thinking they will go elsewhere due to the EXCESSIVE DRINKING AND THE GOOFY DRIVERS. Do we need WEED to add to that misery?