Attorney John Morgan is drawing fire as Florida gets ready for another fight over medical marijuana this election season.
An anti-drug group jabbed Morgan for warning about the dangers of energy drinks while being the chief supporter of a proposed state constitution amendment expanding medical marijuana in the Sunshine State. Morgan and United Care backed Amendment 2 on medical marijuana back in 2014 and rounded up 58 percent of the vote, just under the 60 percent needed to pass. United for Care has brought back a proposed amendment on medical marijuana which will appear on the November ballot.
“I find this completely ironic,” said Calvina Fay, the executive director of the Drug Free America Foundation and Save Our Society From Drugs, on Monday. “Although there is no doubt energy drinks have proven to be dangerous, there is also no doubt about the dangers of marijuana.”
Fay pointed to studies about the harmful effects of marijuana before turning her fire back to Morgan.
“When looking at the evidence Morgan uses to build his case against energy drinks, you will find he utilizes adverse reports on this product from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA),” Fay continued. “Yet, we have heard Morgan discredit the FDA on several occasions when discussing marijuana. He is also touting increased emergency room visits from energy drinks, but what about the increased emergency rooms visits and accidental poisoning that are occurring in Colorado due to legalized marijuana?
“Is he setting up a marijuana industry here in Florida to cash in on later with similar lawsuits?" Fay asked before twisting Morgan’s catchphrase to jab him. “Morgan isn’t ‘for the people.’ It looks like he’s for the money.”
Morgan fired back on Tuesday, noting he was not making a dime for his efforts on behalf of medical marijuana and insisting there were major striking differences between the harmful impacts of marijuana and energy drinks.
"If you really care to learn about the medicinal benefits of marijuana just watch Sanjay Gupta's two specials on CNN,” Morgan said. “The pharmaceutical industry is engaged in the business of premeditated murder and they have spokespeople and goons who do their dirty work disguised as crusaders. They are not. They are hired guns. Who pays them? Nobody pays me. I can’t be bought. Opiate sales were $15 billion in America alone last year and treatment for the side effects were $55 billion. And by the way, people - mostly kids - die regularly from energy drink-induced cardiac arrest. Marijuana has never, in all of human civilization, killed a person."
Also on Tuesday, the Service Employees International Union of Florida (SEIU Florida) endorsed a proposed state constitution amendment to expand medical marijuana in the Sunshine State.
SEIU Florida announced its support of the measure from United for Care.
“We are honored to again receive the support of the SEIU,” said Ben Pollara, United for Care’s campaign manager. “The endorsement from the union representing the largest number of health-care workers in the state is particularly rewarding. We will proudly fight alongside SEIU Florida to secure the rights of doctors and their patients with debilitating conditions to make medical decisions without having to live like criminals.”
Martha Baker, a vice president of SEIU Florida and a nurse, praised the proposal on Tuesday.
“The Use of Marijuana for Debilitating Medical Conditions ballot initiative is about compassion and quality of care for patients,” Baker said. “There are hundreds of thousands of very sick Floridians who will find relief due to this comprehensive proposal. There are 24 other states that have a medical marijuana law; United for Care is doing the right thing for Florida by bringing this issue to the voters. Moreover, the proposal puts medical decisions back in their proper place- between patient and doctor.
“Seriously ill patients should not have to expose themselves to prosecution for seeking to obtain the medicine they need to relieve their symptoms, and no physician should have to put their freedom or their license at risk for recommending the use of that medicine,” Baker added.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
Comments
I know for a fact that Judge
Calvina Fay is a worn-out
I'm the old smuggler in the
Robert you are correct. DFAF
And here all this time I
Looks like quite a conspiracy
Yet Fay won't admit energy
Go figure. DFAF attacks John.
WELL SAID!!! . I couldn't of