Political Action Committee pushes for medical marijuana use in Florida
The Political Action Committee (PAC) People United For Medical Marijuana (PUFMM) pushes for legalized medical marijuana use in Florida
Florida residents with debilitating illnesses would have the option of treating their pain and symptoms with medical marijuana if Florida becomes the next state to allow its use for medicinal purposes.
A petition is circulating now for signatures seeking to place a constitutional amendment on the November 2010 ballot posing the issue of allowing the seriously ill to use legalized medical marijuana (lmm) for medical treatment.
The Florida Division of Elections last week approved the petition for PUFMM (PAC) proposing the amendment, thus allowing People United for Medical Marijuana to start collecting voters’ signatures.
“Our first threshold is to get close to 68,000 signatures to give to the (Florida) Supreme Court for their approval,” said Kim Russell, founder and chairwoman of the committee. “By Feb. 1, we must have 700,000 signatures.”
Russell, a stay-at-home mother who lives in Orlando became involved in the cause because of her father’s diagnosis with Parkinson’s disease. Legalized Medical Marijuana can help stop the further degeneration associated with the illness.
She is confident enough registered Florida voters will sign the petition necessary to get the amendment question on the ballot. The group also hopes to raise $5 million to promote the cause.
The petition language says nobody would be deprived or penalized for the cultivation, purchase, use or possession of medical marijuana in connection with the treatment of diseases or illnesses when its use was recommended by a physician.
Supporters tried in 1998 to get a medical marijuana question on the ballot but it didn’t make it. At that time, Florida Police Chiefs Association (FPCA) and other groups said campaigns are couched as a compassionate plea for the sick and dying but are really designed to be a foothold for a bigger objective of full blown legalization of marijuana.
The police chief’s association has not addressed the latest petition and will not revisit it now, according to Amy Mercer, a spokeswoman for the association. If it does become a legislative issue, then the group will take it up again.
Meanwhile, the association’s 1998 position against medical marijuana still stands, she said.
Russell says misconceptions about marijuana for medicinal purposes can be blamed on the federal government labeling it decades ago as a Schedule 1 drug with no medicinal value. Instead, it was lumped together with other drugs such as LSD and cocaine.
“It’s been proven time and time again to have lots of medicinal uses,” she said.
According to the PUFMM PAC, there are 1.7 million seriously ill people in Florida who could benefit from medcial marijuana be provided relief from their pain. Medical Marijuana could help stop the spread of breast cancer, treat arthritis, glaucoma and other conditions. In Parkinson’s patients, it stops tremors and prevents further deterioration.
The American Medical Association last December at a House of Delegates meeting in Orlando “referred for study” proposed action to support reclassifying of marijuana and urged law enforcement agencies to stop prosecuting doctors and patients in medical marijuana states.
The Florida Medical Association in 1997 endorsed medical marijuana when the issue was in California and recanted the position shortly afterward, Russell said. A spokesman for the FMA on Friday could not say what the association’s current position is on medical marijuana.
Thirteen states have passed medical marijuana laws; most recently in Michigan last November where a two-thirds majority of voters approved a ballot proposition to allow people with serious or terminal illnesses to use marijuana if certified by a doctor. If the issue gets on the Florida ballot and is passed by voters, Russell said she would like to see the law modeled after Oregon which has experienced a low abuse rate.
The Medical Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, D.C., says the American College of Physicians, the American Nurses Association, the American Public Health Association and the Leukemia/Lymphoma Association are among groups that support medical marijuana for medicinal purposes.
The PAC’s Web site is http://www.pufmm.org/ and the petition can be downloaded, printed and mailed back to the group.
The Political Action Committee (PAC) People United For Medical Marijuana (PUFMM) pushes for legalized medical marijuana use in Florida
Florida residents with debilitating illnesses would have the option of treating their pain and symptoms with medical marijuana if Florida becomes the next state to allow its use for medicinal purposes.
A petition is circulating now for signatures seeking to place a constitutional amendment on the November 2010 ballot posing the issue of allowing the seriously ill to use legalized medical marijuana (lmm) for medical treatment.
The Florida Division of Elections last week approved the petition for PUFMM (PAC) proposing the amendment, thus allowing People United for Medical Marijuana to start collecting voters’ signatures.
“Our first threshold is to get close to 68,000 signatures to give to the (Florida) Supreme Court for their approval,” said Kim Russell, founder and chairwoman of the committee. “By Feb. 1, we must have 700,000 signatures.”
Russell, a stay-at-home mother who lives in Orlando became involved in the cause because of her father’s diagnosis with Parkinson’s disease. Legalized Medical Marijuana can help stop the further degeneration associated with the illness.
She is confident enough registered Florida voters will sign the petition necessary to get the amendment question on the ballot. The group also hopes to raise $5 million to promote the cause.
The petition language says nobody would be deprived or penalized for the cultivation, purchase, use or possession of medical marijuana in connection with the treatment of diseases or illnesses when its use was recommended by a physician.
Supporters tried in 1998 to get a medical marijuana question on the ballot but it didn’t make it. At that time, Florida Police Chiefs Association (FPCA) and other groups said campaigns are couched as a compassionate plea for the sick and dying but are really designed to be a foothold for a bigger objective of full blown legalization of marijuana.
The police chief’s association has not addressed the latest petition and will not revisit it now, according to Amy Mercer, a spokeswoman for the association. If it does become a legislative issue, then the group will take it up again.
Meanwhile, the association’s 1998 position against medical marijuana still stands, she said.
Russell says misconceptions about marijuana for medicinal purposes can be blamed on the federal government labeling it decades ago as a Schedule 1 drug with no medicinal value. Instead, it was lumped together with other drugs such as LSD and cocaine.
“It’s been proven time and time again to have lots of medicinal uses,” she said.
According to the PUFMM PAC, there are 1.7 million seriously ill people in Florida who could benefit from medcial marijuana be provided relief from their pain. Medical Marijuana could help stop the spread of breast cancer, treat arthritis, glaucoma and other conditions. In Parkinson’s patients, it stops tremors and prevents further deterioration.
The American Medical Association last December at a House of Delegates meeting in Orlando “referred for study” proposed action to support reclassifying of marijuana and urged law enforcement agencies to stop prosecuting doctors and patients in medical marijuana states.
The Florida Medical Association in 1997 endorsed medical marijuana when the issue was in California and recanted the position shortly afterward, Russell said. A spokesman for the FMA on Friday could not say what the association’s current position is on medical marijuana.
Thirteen states have passed medical marijuana laws; most recently in Michigan last November where a two-thirds majority of voters approved a ballot proposition to allow people with serious or terminal illnesses to use marijuana if certified by a doctor. If the issue gets on the Florida ballot and is passed by voters, Russell said she would like to see the law modeled after Oregon which has experienced a low abuse rate.
The Medical Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, D.C., says the American College of Physicians, the American Nurses Association, the American Public Health Association and the Leukemia/Lymphoma Association are among groups that support medical marijuana for medicinal purposes.
The PAC’s Web site is http://www.pufmm.org/ and the petition can be downloaded, printed and mailed back to the group.
Thanks for everything you guys are doing!!
ReplyDeleteHere is what we need from your supporters:
-Petition. If you are a registered voter in the state of Florida, download and print the petition at http://www.PUFMM.com/. You can mail this to us at the address on the site. Make sure you download a few petitions for your friends to sign as well and send those in with yours.
-Donation. While running this campaign we are facing lots of costs. We need all supporters to send in donations, we have started the $100 in 100 days campaign. If our supporters are able to spend a dollar a day for three months on this campaign, we will have medical marijuana in the state of Florida by 2010.
-Representative. Talk to your state representatives about it. Urge them to initiate and support a statewide medical marijuana program in Florida. We have spoken to multiple representatives that support our cause but fear their constituents don't, let them know that you all do support this!
-Media. Talk to your local media outlets. If you are a patient, let them know your story. Otherwise watch and read and write in letters when you feel a response or more information is needed for an article relating to marijuana.
-Community. This is an effort that is bringing out a lot of community members working inside their area to make change. Talk to your friends, hang up some information around town and on community boards. Make sure you bring up Florida being the next medical marijuana state at least twice a week.
Thanks!!
Joshua Giesegh
gieseghj@gmail.com
Campaign Manager
People United for Medical Marijuana