In four days, Floridians will decide the fate of medical marijuana in Florida, and tensions between groups supporting the measure and their opponents are only running higher as the clock ticks down to Election Day.
Earlier this week, Sunshine State News spoke with both sides of the measure to see how they’re handling their campaigns two years after the measure first hit the ballot in 2014. Opponents of the measure said the amendment was “predatory” and preyed on voters’ emotions and compassion rather than appealing to a scientific reason for legalizing medical marijuana.
Advocates of the measure aren’t happy about what they read.
United For Care campaign manager Ben Pollara told Sunshine State News he was appalled Drug Free Florida would make such statements. He trashed Dr. Jessica Spencer, a substance abuse counselor who works as an educator for Drug Free Florida, the group responsible for the opposition against Amendment 2.
Her comments, he explained, couldn’t be more wrong.
“All she does is say the voters are too dumb to realize what they're voting for,” he told SSN.
Dr. Spencer spoke with SSN about the amendment, saying supporters of the measure are primarily using an emotional argument to justify passing the amendment.
Despite tightening up loopholes in the amendment language, Spencer and Drug Free Florida contend it’s still not specific enough to prevent drug abuse. People who have other types of disorders, like anxiety and PTSD, Spencer says, would still be allowed to use the drug because they would have the symptoms to “qualify” them for medical pot.
“It’s a slippery slope,” she told SSN. “We don't base medicine on anecdotes and stories. The science simply is not there.”
Pollara said although the campaign does appeal to voters on an emotional level, that’s not the only reason Floridians are jumping onboard with the measure.
“The campaign appeals to both head and heart,” he said. “People know that marijuana is medicine and they know it can help sick and suffering Floridians.”
The constitutional amendment would legalize medical pot for those with debilitating medical condition -- just how debilitating that condition is would be up to a licensed physician’s discretion. Doctors would have the final say on whether or not to give patients a prescription for pot.
In an email sent to supporters Thursday afternoon, United For Care backer John Morgan pleaded with supporters to join their “compassionate” fight.
In the email, the Orlando attorney who donated millions of dollars to the campaign took a dig at Spencer.
“Jessica, there's a reason the No on 2 campaign is failing,” Morgan wrote. “It's because people ARE thinking with their hearts. They're showing the compassion that our legislature and your funders did not.”
Drug Free Florida has warned voters of the possibility of widespread abuse of the drug if Amendment 2 passes next week. Children, the group says, could accidentally get their hands on the drug through pot candy and the group says the measure will open up accessibility to the drug so much that “anyone, anywhere” will be able to get their hands on it.
Recent polls have shown the proposal receiving over 70 percent approval from likely voters, a number well above the 60 percent threshold needed to pass, but supporters of the amendment shouldn't be too quick to celebrate those numbers — medical marijuana was polling even higher (over 80 percent) before Amendment 2 hit the ballot in 2014.
Reach reporter Allison Nielsen by email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen.
