Jeff Kottkamp, former Republican lieutenant governor of Florida, completed paperwork Monday to begin lobbying on behalf of a new Florida for Care medical marijuana bill. It is expected to be a legislative alternative to a 2016 United for Care ballot amendment already in the petition process.
Kottkamp said he will use experience he gained leading the Governor's Office of Drug Control during the Crist administration to represent Florida for Care, the sister organization of United for Care, of which attorney John Morgan is chairman.
Kottkamp said he will be working with Dan Rogers, Florida for Care's director of legislative affairs. "I'll be lobbying for the legislation, not the ballot amendment," he said.
Said Rogers, "Former Lt. Gov. Kottkamp's vast understanding of legislative politics and his experience leading the Governor's Office of Drug Control will, without question, be a huge boost to our efforts."
Kottkamp said when the organization approached him, the job appealed. "Like so many other Floridians who back medical marijuana, I have my own story. I watched my mother suffer with cancer for 10 years. I think when we have loved ones and think there is any way to alleviate their suffering, how can we not do whatever it takes?"
He also said as lieutenant governor, when he had oversight responsibility for the Office of Drug Control, he had ample opportunity to see how destructive prescription drugs for pain could be.
"Look, I think we've seen that -- at a minimum -- 57 percent of Floridians approve of medical marijuana. We have a unique opportunity to shape public policy with our legislation, and to fix some of the glitches inherent in (Amendment 2) and bring something very compassionate to the table," Kottkamp explained.
The Florida for Care bill would be inclusive of more illnesses than the Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act of 2014 (Charlotte's Web law), but Kottkamp did not elaborate on the differences between Florida for Care legislation and the landmark medical marijuana bill that passed both chambers nine months ago.
Florida for Care launched in July 2014 to prepare for the rule-making process in anticipation that Florida voters would approve John Morgan-backed Amendment 2. But political consultant Brian Franklin wrote its mission statement a year earlier. It stated this: Florida for Care believes Florida has the opportunity to set the standard for what a state medical marijuana system should look like and how it can function most effectively. The idea then was "to advocate for a strong, well-regulated Florida medical marijuana system under Amendment 2."
Amendment 2, which narrowly failed Nov. 4 to win 60 percent of the vote, would have legalized use of the plant as medicine, not just cannabis oil as the Charlotte's Web law does.
Kottkamp said it is too early to discuss which senators and representatives likely would sponsor the Florida for Care bill. "We're working on it," he said.
Right now the Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act of 2014 -- the one medical marijuana law on Florida's books -- has ground to a halt. Though it was meant to take effect on Jan. 1, the Department of Health has shown an inability or deliberate intention not to implement it.
Gov. Rick Scott signed SB 1030 in June, yet in all that time DOH couldn't get the regulatory structure in place for the delivery of a medicinal marijuana product to epilepsy and cancer patients. An administrative judge declared invalid a proposed set of rules -- including the need to choose growers by lottery.
According to James Call in Politicsofpot.com, Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach, chief sponsor of the act in the House, has said he is so frustrated he's ready to ask the governor to declare a state of emergency over rule-making for the law authorizing five licensees to grow marijuana and dispense cannabis oil.
Meanwhile, Sen. Jeff Clemens, D-Lake Worth, a medical marijuana proponent since 2011, is working on a glitch bill for SB 1030. Clemens' bill will propose expanding the law beyond low-THC cannabis.
And lawyer Morgan has struck up a new petition drive under United for Care, expressing confidence that if lawmakers can't find a way to deliver medicinal marijuana to sick people, then voters will through a referendum.
You got to remember one of the advantages I have now is that I have the names, the addresses, the email addresses of everyone who signed my petition and was validated by the supervisor of elections in their county, Morgan said. He now believes time and money were wasted on gathering petitions and a futile effort to encourage the youth vote, mistakes he claims he wont make this time.
Jeff Kottkamp, whom Charlie Crist selected as his running mate in 2006, served as the state's 17th lieutenant governor, from 2007 to 2011. During his term he pushed for the passage of the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program and other legislation to reduce the illegal sale of prescription drugs in Florida. In 2010 he convened a statewide prescription drug task force to combat Florida's increasing prescription drug abuse.
In 2010 he ran for attorney general but placed second to Pam Bondi in a three-way Republican primary.
Kottkamp established his own Tallahassee law practice and lobbying firm in April 2014. Besides Florida for Care, his clients are The Children's Campaign, Florida Alliance of Boys and Girls Clubs, Florida Casino Watch, Florida Greyhound Association and Florida Right to Know Alliance.
Reach Nancy Smith at nsmith@sunshinestatenews.com or at 228-282-2423. Twitter: @NancyLBSmith
