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Politics

Florida Voters Strongly Back Medical Marijuana Amendment

September 26, 2016 - 5:30pm

Florida voters overwhelmingly support passing an amendment to legalize medical marijuana, according to a new poll released Monday. 

The Florida Chamber of Commerce statewide poll showed nearly two-thirds of voters -- 73 percent -- said they were in favor of Amendment 2, which would legalize medical marijuana for patients with “debilitating conditions.”

Only 22 percent said they would not vote to pass the amendment if the election were held today.

Amendment 2 would allow for the medical use of marijuana by a qualifying patient or caregiver. It would also prohibit physicians from being subject to criminal or civil liabilities under Florida law for issuing a prescription for medical marijuana.

Medical marijuana would only be allowed for use for those with “debilitating” medical conditions which would include cancer, epilepsy, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, and for other conditions which a physician feels using medical marijuana would outweigh the potential health risks for a patient. 
That means the average person would not be able to go into a pharmacy and get a prescription unless it was approved by their doctor, who would need to undergo training to be able to provide the medication.

Amendments need to receive 60 percent of the vote in order to be made law in Florida.

This isn’t the first time Floridians have voted on medical marijuana. In 2014, the same amendment went to the ballot, but failed to reach the necessary 60 percent to pass and only received 58 percent of the vote.

Supporters of the amendment say medical marijuana is necessary to provide much-needed relief to patients suffering from serious illnesses, while opponents of the measure say the amendment is too broad and would legalize medical marijuana for anyone, anywhere. 

Recent ads from Drug Free Florida, the group opposing Amendment 2, say medical marijuana “isn’t medicine” and criticized the drug in its smokable form. Drug Free Florida is ramping up its efforts to knock the ballot initiative, launching a full-on offensive with ads to urge voters to vote “no” to Amendment 2 on Election Day.

Monday’s poll results fall in line with other surveys which suggest medical marijuana has a high likelihood of passing in November. Recent polls suggest Florida voters are overwhelmingly in support of the amendment, with nearly three-quarters of likely voters supporting the measure. 

 

The Florida Chamber poll of 617 registered voters was conducted from Sept. 15 through Sept. 20 and has a margin of error of +/- 4 percent.


Voters will vote on the amendment during the general election on Nov. 8. 

 

 

Reach reporter Allison Nielsen by email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen

 

Comments

Yes on 2 will pass and Hillary will win the election... Buy Facebook and Twitter Stock for your kids ;))

The reason most voters may think they support medical marijuana, is because they have not been educated to all the negatives and there are SO many. Almost all doctors do not support this especially since anyone who really needs medical marijuana can get it but it does not have the euphoric effects. This is why the supports are not satisfied with it as they WANT the euphoric effects. Why do you suppose the Gov. of Colorado regrets he ever signed their Bill? The only people who will benefit by this Amendment are the growers and sellers and Morgan & Morgan Attorneys. Even George Soros supports this. What does that tell you? Follow the money trail. Don't be a fool and vote for it because once it passes it can't be overturned. .

Ester, you are the uneducated one in regard to this issue. Do you understand who is financing the ads for your coalition? 500k from the makers of fentanyl. In 2010 my brother died from an overdose. His cancer was in remission. His doctors prescribed fentanyl candy suckers, patches, and other rx for pain. Problem was, over the time fighting cancer, he lost so much weight, but his doctors never adjusted dose for weight loss. His pain doctors did not allow THC and regularly tested all patients to prevent use. Now, the Center For Disease Control has issued 2016 statement advising doctors to quit this testiing for THC. In the states that have passed the measure, overdose death is down 25%. THC does not have to be smoked. There are edibles, it can be vapored. Once the medical prohibition ends, I am sure your vote no to 2 supporters will find other ways to take it and still make money. I don't expect you to listen to me, please go to the CDC website.

The Governor of CO has not stated he regrets signing that bill since the very start of the new law. He has for some time now said he is very pleased with how it is working for the state. In April last year, during an interview with Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo, Hickenlooper said legal weed was “not as vexing as we thought it was going to be.” And during an appearance on "60 Minutes," he predicted that Colorado might “actually create a system that could work” in successfully regulating marijuana. “The predictions of fire and brimstone have failed to materialize,” said Mason Tvert, spokesman for the Marijuana Policy Project, a national group working to reform pot laws. “Most Coloradoans, including the governor, recognize that the law is working.” Colorado is booming. The state has a 4.2% unemployment rate, one of the best in the country. High-tech companies are moving in. Small towns across the state, some once teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, have been saved by tax revenues from pot dispensaries. And the $1-billion-a-year cannabis business will pump $100 million in taxes into state coffers this year.

GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT rate of death involving natural and semi synthetic opioid pain relievers, heroin, and synthetic opioids, other than methadone (e.g., fentanyl) increased 9%, 26%, and 80%, respectively. The sharp increase in deaths involving synthetic opioids, other than methadone, in 2014 coincided with law enforcement reports of increased availability of illicitly manufactured fentanyl, a synthetic opioid; however, illicitly manufactured fentanyl cannot be distinguished from prescription fentanyl in death certificate data. These findings indicate that the opioid overdose epidemic is worsening. There is a need for continued action to prevent opioid abuse, dependence, and death. FACTS not FICTION: overdose deaths 2013 state of Florida, 2,474. Overdose deaths 2014 State of Florida 2,634 increase of 160 deaths. NOTE: CDC does not show yet OD Deaths for 2015 to present. I am sure the number is increasing. CDC new recommendations released 2016 include the statement to Doctors and Pain Management WE recommend "not to test for delta 9 THC" as there is no proof that it causes adverse side effects when used with any prescription drug. “Clinicians should not dismiss patients from care based on a urine drug test result because this could constitute patient abandonment and could have adverse consequences for patient safety, potentially including the patient obtaining opioids from alternative sources and the clinician missing opportunities to facilitate treatment for substance use disorder.” Newsweek America has a major problem with prescription pain medications like Vicodin and OxyContin. Overdose deaths from these pharmaceutical opioids have approximately tripled since 1991, and every day 46 people die of such overdoses in the United States. However, in the 13 states that passed laws allowing for the use of medical marijuana between 1999 and 2010, 25 percent fewer people die from opioid overdoses annually. “The difference is quite striking,” said study co-author Colleen Barry, a health policy researcher at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore. The shift showed up quite quickly and become visible the year after medical marijuana was accepted in each state, she told Newsweek. New York Times U.S. states that have legalized cannabis use for medical purposes have seen a significant decline in the number of prescription drugs issued through the Medicare program, according to a new study by University of Georgia researchers. The study, led by W. David Bradford and published in the journal Health Affairs, examined 87 million prescribed drugs filled by Medicare Part D enrollees from 2010 through 2013. Savings from the lower number of prescriptions were estimated to be $165.2 million in 2013, when 17 states and the District of Columbia had medical marijuana laws implemented. The researchers state that if medicinal marijuana was legal in all 50 states, savings to Medicare would be about $468 million. But they also acknowledge that patients may not benefit from those savings if they pay for medical marijuana out of pocket, noting insurance doesn’t cover it. The study analysis focused on drugs that treat conditions for which medical marijuana could be suggested as an alternative treatment method–such as depression, anxiety, nausea, chronic pain, sleep disorders, glaucoma, spasticity and more. With the exception of glaucoma and spasticity (a muscle control disorder), all other conditions listed correlated with fewer prescriptions in states with legalized medical marijuana. In states where medical marijuana had not been legalized, the same decline was not observed. Overall, glaucoma cases show the least proven benefit from cannabis use, which may correlate with the minimal decline noted in the study. Cannabis use can relieves eye pressure in glaucoma patients by about 25 percent, but the effects only last for about an hour – making the drug not the ideal option for patients. On the opposite side, pain showed the strongest medical evidence recommending marijuana use, according to the researchers, which in turn was the condition that had the greatest effect on prescriptions for painkillers. More than 1,800 fewer daily doses of painkillers were prescribed, on average, per year in states with legal medical marijuana compared to states where it is illegal. Floridians have the opportunity to help stop up to or more than 25% in drug overdose deaths by passing Proposition 2 this November. Remember Florida who is funding the NO ON 2 campaign. Drug Company's, Prisons, big alcohol and Politicians taking their money to keep Marijuana Illegal. P.S. GOD holds the only patent on Marijuana.

Esther likes to come on here and propagandize by telling readers falsehoods. Current medical cannabis laws are too restrictive and deny the majority of patients who would benefit. She knows better, she just hopes you don't. Shame on her. Please vote YES on 2. ForThePatients!

YES on 2. For compassion. For your neighbors and fellow Floridians. ForThePatients!

Every human has an endo-cannabinoid system. When humans utilize the Cannabis plant its Cannabinoids and Terpenes fit into our CB1 and CB2 Receptors like puzzle pieces. This acts as a prevention for diseases as well as to treat and/or possibly cure any disease or illness one is suffering from. CB1 and CB2 Receptors are located in our brain and all throughout our bodies and have to do with everything from pain or appetite to aging and disease. Vote Yes on Amendment 2 Medical Cannabis in Florida. Blessings, peace, love, good health, and happiness to all.

I recall Sheldon Adelson- he of Vegas casino fame-just dropped a mil into the "No" campaign. Sorta odd, that; he's funded Israel's mmj studies for years. All of which- peer reviewed- conclude efficacy of mmj in many conditions. Wonder just in which or how many Pharma co's he's invested.

Good luck, FL! You all should just go ahead and pass recreational marijuana right now because that is the end goal. Medical marijuana is a joke as many of us have seen in AZ. They are now quickly on the path of voting in rec. marijuana this Nov. However, there are no laws governing use that have been enforced and no doubt, there will be no laws or regulations that will be enforced in the future. The lie that it will bring in tax revenue to the state is laughable. When folks with a "card" find out they can get it cheaper from black market dealers in neighborhoods, that's where they buy it. Florida legislature better have some real regulations and enforceable laws regarding marijuana, otherwise law enforcement will be impotent when the problems arrive.... Please check with those states who have medical marijuana /recreational marijuana in place... They will tell you what to expect. People know how to game the system.

From Arizona? The last news I saw from AZ. Is that, " The $500,000 donation from Insys Therapeutics, based in Chandler, Ariz., amounts to more than one-third of all money raised by Arizonans for Responsible Drug Policy, the group opposing legalization. It's one of the largest single contributions to any anti-legalization campaign ever, according to campaign finance records maintained by ballotpedia.com. Insys also manufactures the deadly painkiller Subsys fentanyl. The company is facing state and federal investigations, as well as a shareholder lawsuit, over allegations that it improperly marketed the drug to doctors in an effort to boost sales." My question is How Much are they paying you to comment on Floridas proposition 2.

Fear of Medical Marijuana Legalization Nationwide is unfounded. Not based on any science or fact whatsoever. So please, all prohibitionists, we beg you, give your scare tactics, "Conspiracy Theories" and "Doomsday Scenarios" over the inevitable Legalization of Medical Marijuana Nationwide a rest. Nobody is buying them anymore these days. Okay? Furthermore, if all prohibitionists get when they look into that nice, big and shiny crystal ball of theirs, while wondering about the future of Medical Marijuana Legalization Nationwide, is horror, doom, and despair, well then I suggest they return that thing as quickly as possible and reclaim the money they shelled out for it, since it's obviously defective. Nobody can deny the Medical effectiveness of Medical Marijuana. When a loved one is wasting away unable to eat due to Chemotherapy, AIDS Wasting Syndrome, or Multiple Sclerosis, and needs this marvelous herb in order to increase their appetite, reduce the overwhelming pain, and live as as healthy and happily as they can with the time they have left, let's have the compassion to allow them to have it. Stop treating Medical Marijuana Patients like second rate citizens and common criminals by forcing them to the dangerous black market for their medicine. Risking incarceration to obtain the medicine you need is no way to be forced to live. Support Medical Marijuana Now! Below is a small sampling of quotes and a list of just a few of the many Professional Medical Organizations Worldwide that attest to Medical Marijuana's effectiveness and Support Legal Access to and Use of Medical Marijuana. Along with over twenty U.S states that have already legalized medical marijuana. Are they ALL wrong? "[A] federal policy that prohibits physicians from alleviating suffering by prescribing marijuana for seriously ill patients is misguided, heavy-handed, and inhumane." — Dr. Jerome Kassirer, "Federal Foolishness and Marijuana," editorial, New England Journal of Medicine, January 30, 1997 "[The AAFP accepts the use of medical marijuana] under medical supervision and control for specific medical indications." — American Academy of Family Physicians, 1989, reaffirmed in 2001 "[We] recommend … allow[ing] [marijuana] prescription where medically appropriate." — National Association for Public Health Policy, November 15, 1998 "Therefore be it resolved that the American Nurses Association will: — Support the right of patients to have safe access to therapeutic marijuana/cannabis under appropriate prescriber supervision." — American Nurses Association, resolution, 2003 "The National Nurses Society on Addictions urges the federal government to remove marijuana from the Schedule I category immediately, and make it available for physicians to prescribe. NNSA urges the American Nurses' Association and other health care professional organizations to support patient access to this medicine." — National Nurses Society on Addictions, May 1, 1995 "[M]arijuana has an extremely wide acute margin of safety for use under medical supervision and cannot cause lethal reactions … [G]reater harm is caused by the legal consequences of its prohibition than possible risks of medicinal use." — American Public Health Association, Resolution #9513, "Access to Therapeutic Marijuana/Cannabis," 1995 "When appropriately prescribed and monitored, marijuana/cannabis can provide immeasurable benefits for the health and well-being of our patients … We support state and federal legislation not only to remove criminal penalties associated with medical marijuana, but further to exclude marijuana/cannabis from classification as a Schedule I drug." — American Academy of HIV Medicine, letter to New York Assemblyman Richard Gottfried, November 11, 2003 International and National Organizations AIDS Action Council AIDS Treatment News American Academy of Family Physicians American Medical Student Association American Nurses Association American Preventive Medical Association American Public Health Association American Society of Addiction Medicine Arthritis Research Campaign (United Kingdom) Australian Medical Association (New South Wales) Limited Australian National Task Force on Cannabis Belgian Ministry of Health British House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology British House of Lords Select Committee On Science and Technology (Second Report) British Medical Association Canadian AIDS Society Canadian Special Senate Committee on Illegal Drugs Dr. Dean Edell (surgeon and nationally syndicated radio host) French Ministry of Health Health Canada Kaiser Permanente Lymphoma Foundation of America The Montel Williams MS Foundation Multiple Sclerosis Society (Canada) The Multiple Sclerosis Society (United Kingdom) National Academy of Sciences Institute Of Medicine (IOM) National Association for Public Health Policy National Nurses Society on Addictions Netherlands Ministry of Health New England Journal of Medicine New South Wales (Australia) Parliamentary Working Party on the Use of Cannabis for Medical Purposes Dr. Andrew Weil (nationally recognized professor of internal medicine and founder of the National Integrative Medicine Council) State and Local Organizations Alaska Nurses Association Being Alive: People With HIV/AIDS Action Committee (San Diego, CA) California Academy of Family Physicians California Nurses Association California Pharmacists Association Colorado Nurses Association Connecticut Nurses Association Florida Governor's Red Ribbon Panel on AIDS Florida Medical Association Hawaii Nurses Association Illinois Nurses Association Life Extension Foundation Medical Society of the State of New York Mississippi Nurses Association New Jersey State Nurses Association New Mexico Medical Society New Mexico Nurses Association New York County Medical Society New York State Nurses Association North Carolina Nurses Association Rhode Island Medical Society Rhode Island State Nurses Association San Francisco Mayor's Summit on AIDS and HIV San Francisco Medical Society Vermont Medical Marijuana Study Committee Virginia Nurses Association Whitman-Walker Clinic (Washington, DC) Wisconsin Nurses Association Additional AIDS Organizations The following organizations are signatories to a February 17, 1999 letter to the US Department of Health petitioning the federal government to "make marijuana legally available … to people living with AIDS." AIDS Action Council AIDS Foundation of Chicago AIDS National Interfaith Network (Washington, DC) AIDS Project Arizona AIDS Project Los Angeles Being Alive: People with HIV/AIDS Action Committee (San Diego, CA) Boulder County AIDS Project (Boulder, CO) Colorado AIDS Project Center for AIDS Services (Oakland, CA) Health Force: Women and Men Against AIDS (New York, NY) Latino Commission on AIDS Mobilization Against AIDS (San Francisco, CA) Mothers Voices to End AIDS (New York, NY) National Latina/o Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual And Transgender Association National Native American AIDS Prevention Center Northwest AIDS Foundation People of Color Against AIDS Network (Seattle, WA) San Francisco AIDS Foundation Whitman-Walker Clinic (Washington, DC) Other Health Organizations The following organizations are signatories to a June 2001 letter to the US Department of Health petitioning the federal government to "allow people suffering from serious illnesses … to apply to the federal government for special permission to use marijuana to treat their symptoms." Addiction Treatment Alternatives AIDS Treatment Initiatives (Atlanta, GA) American Public Health Association American Preventive Medical Association Bay Area Physicians for Human Rights (San Francisco, CA) California Legislative Council for Older Americans California Nurses Association California Pharmacists Association Embrace Life (Santa Cruz, CA) Gay and Lesbian Medical Association Hawaii Nurses Association Hepatitis C Action and Advisory Coalition Life Extension Foundation Maine AIDS Alliance Minnesota Nurses Association Mississippi Nurses Association National Association of People with AIDS National Association for Public Health Policy National Women's Health Network Nebraska AIDS Project New Mexico Nurses Association New York City AIDS Housing Network New York State Nurses Association Ohio Patient Network Okaloosa AIDS Support and Information Services (Fort Walton, FL) Physicians for Social Responsibility - Oregon San Francisco AIDS Foundation Virginia Nurses Association Wisconsin Nurses Association Health Organizations Supporting Medical Marijuana Research International and National Organizations American Cancer Society American Medical Association British Medical Journal California Medical Association California Society on Addiction Medicine Congress of Nursing Practice Gay and Lesbian Medical Association Jamaican National Commission on Ganja National Institutes of Health (NIH) Workshop on the Medical Utility of Marijuana Texas Medical Association Vermont Medical Society Wisconsin State Medical Society

Twisted poll results. The poll was probably sponsored by Morgan and Morgan . . .. they have spent thousands, if not millions trying to get this passed.

Hi Walker, Please say hello to Uncle Sheldon for me the next time you see him will you. By the way has Insys Therapeutics sent you your Pay Check lately. The reason I ask is they got themselves in a little trouble peddling Subsys fentanyl to patients they were not supposed to . Illinois' attorney general on Thursday sued Insys Therapeutics Inc, accusing it of deceptively marketing and selling an addictive fentanyl-based medication, intended to treat cancer pain, to doctors for off-label uses. The lawsuit, filed by Attorney General Lisa Madigan in Cook County Circuit Court, comes as Insys faces a number of state and investigations involving its drug Subsys as U.S. authorities seek to combat a national opioid abuse epidemic. "This drug company's desire for increased profits led it to disregard patients' health and push addictive opioids for non-FDA approved purposes," Madigan said in a statement.

There is absolutely no denying that the vast majority of Americans support providing full, safe, legal access to Medical Marijauana Nationwide. Pennsylvania: Franklin & Marshall College A record number of Pennsylvania voters, 84 percent, favor legalizing medical marijuana for adults if a doctor recommends it. Harris Poll Eighty-one percent of respondents, including super-majorities ofDemocrats, Republicans, and Independents, expressed support forlegalizing marijuana for medical treatment. Virginia: Quinnipiac University Poll Fifty-four percent of voters support "allowing adults to legally possess small amounts of marijuana for personal use." Nearly nine out of ten Virginians support legalizing the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes. Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania: Quinnipiac University Poll Voters in three critical swing states support legalization and super-majorities in all three states endorse allowing doctors to recommend cannabis therapy. Pennsylvania: Robert Morris University The survey showed 67.5 percent of Pennsylvanians are in favor of legalizing medical marijuana. Iowa: Des Moines Register Poll Seventy percent of Iowa adults say they favor legalizing marijuana for medical uses. North Carolina: Public Policy Polling Nearly seven out of ten North Carolinians support a doctor's right to prescribe marijuana to patients in need. Third Way Fifty percent support legalizing recreational marijuana for use by adults; 78% are in favor of allowing individuals to use marijuana for medical purposes if a doctor recommends it. Florida: Gravis Marketing Poll More than 60 percent of Florida voters say that they support Amendment 2, a proposed constitutional amendment to permit cannabis therapy to qualified patients. Florida: Quinnipiac University Poll Fifty-five percent of voters support allowing adults in Florida to legally possess small amounts of marijuana for personal use. Connecticut: Quinnipiac University Poll Nine out of ten Connecticut voters support legalizing the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes, and a majority support allowing adults to possess the plant for any purpose. Minnesota: KSTP/SurveyUSA Poll Sixty-eight percent of Minnesotans believe marijuana should be legal for medical purposes. WebMD Survey of Doctors A majority of doctors say that medical marijuana should be legalized nationally and that it can deliver real benefits to patients. Virginia: Quinnipiac University Virginia Voters Back Medical Marijuana with 84% support. Iowa: Quinnipiac University Poll Iowans overwhelmingly support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana for medical use. Maryland: Goucher Poll Ninety percent of Marylanders support the use of marijuana for medical purposes, if prescribed by a doctor. Pennsylvania: Mercyhurst Center for Applied Politics Poll A strong majority (85%) of Pennsylvania voters say that patients should be allowed to use marijuana when prescribed by a doctor. Ohio: Quinnipiac University Poll Eighty-seven percent of Ohio voters support the use of medical marijuana. New York: Quinnipiac University Poll Voters in New York support the legalization of marijuana for both medical (88%) and personal (57%) use. North Carolina: Public Policy Polling A recent Public Policy Polling survey found 63 percent of North Carolina voters believe doctors should have the right to prescribe marijuana for medical use. Florida: Quinnipiac University Poll Eighty-two percent of Florida voters support the medicinal use of marijuana. Oklahoma: SoonerPoll Seventy-one percent support allowing seriously ill patients to possess marijuana for medical purposes with a physician's recommendation. Fox News Poll Eighty-five percent of voters favor medical marijuana.

Just to be contrary, if marijuana is not a " drug", i.e. medicine, then how/why has the DEA-aka DRUG Enforcement Administration- classified the plant as such with no medical benefits..( the U.S. government holds many patents on various strains of mmj and has the efficacy for specific conditions listed.. just a thought Or 3.) Could it be that Big Pharma(with much "help" from certain Repub politicians) is counting their billions in profits ?? As my sainted aunt was wont to exclaim," The Horra! " I do believe I read of one such company in Arizona, ,Insys,complaining that were medical marijuana to become legal ,their profits would be adversely affected..Can't have that, dontchano?

While most of you have not heard of him, you have Harry Anslinger, a scumsucking politician from the 30's to thank for most of this mess. In an effort to save his worthless spot at the federal trough our first Drug Czar came up with things like " marijuana is an addictive drug which produces in it's users insanity, criminality and death." Using government money he came up with such film noir classics as " Reefer Madness". He is the sole reason - along with the cretins we continuously elect - that marijuana is classed as the same Class A narcotic that heroin is. Mark my words - just like the numbers game we now call the lottery - the scumsucking politicians will ignore the millions of lives it has ruined, ignore the prisons full of nickel and dime pot users - mostly black- and decide that there is too much money not to jump in the game. Like Chain Gang Charlie, a true political scumsucker that really DID endorse chain gangs until his conversion to a softer, kinder sort of confused sexual politician - it won't be long before you can walk into a pot store and pick up whatever you want. From the state. Growing it will, of course, still be illegal.

Always was about the $$$ . Then and now. Opioid epidemic? Nah- BIG Pharma is too big to be allowed to fail. DEA? FDA? Who/ which political prostitutes support them ? Oh,the tangled web that has been woven. For the "health and safety "of the chillrun.Dontchano?

I don't understand the fuss. no one thinks twice in doctors prescribing addictive pain killers but mention Marijuana and people freak. big drug companies don't want this because they lose money. I am in favor of just legalizing Marijuana outright. tax it and sell it and that would go along way in reducing our debt.

Allison, How do these numbers compare to the last time it was on the ballot? Thanks, BILL

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