Pubdate: Wed, 15 Nov 2000 Source: Palm Beach Post (FL) Copyright: 2000, The Palm Beach Post Address: P.O. Box 24700, West Palm Beach, FL 33416-4700 Fax: (561) 820-4728 Feedback: http://www.gopbi.com/partners/pbpost/info/mail.html Website: http://www.gopbi.com/ Forum: http://www.gopbi.com/community/forums/ Author: Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Staff Writer, Palm Beach Post Cited: Cannabis Action Network: http://jug-or-not.com/can/ Floridans for Medical Rights: http://www.medicalrights.org/ Note: A picture of 'Barbie' is at: http://www.dpft.org/mvc-015f.html 'BARBIE' STAYS DOLLED-UP FOR MEDICAL POT FORT PIERCE -- She slid into the skin-tight miniskirt with furry fluorescent pink trim and paced on glittering gold heels in front of St. Lucie County Courthouse this week, approaching clerks, lawyers and deputies. Tough crowd, but Medical Marijuana Barbie got what she came for. "I get 'em with the Barbie and keep 'em when they hear about the Ph.D.," said Tracy Blevins, 30, a former pharmacology major at the University of Texas, where she received her doctorate. The Houston native came to Fort Pierce on Monday proffering petitions to put a medical marijuana initiative on the Florida ballot in 2002. Election buzz drew her down to West Palm Beach where she was mobbed by cameras. "Comedy Central even chased us," recalled Kevin Applin, 37, a member of the Cannabis Action Network who lives in Melbourne. Applin shadowed Blevins since she arrived to address what he calls the state's "zero tolerance" policy. Blevins worries about being taken as seriously as Applin and other plainclothes protesters. She is, after all, parading with the midriff slogan "Medical Marijuana" inscribed in black marker. But she rejects claims from those who may benefit from the initiative that she is trivializing their cause. "I have a legitimate research interest," she explained, one that justifies efforts "to destigmatize medicinal marijuana in a positive, non-threatening way." When she joined a coalition advocating ballot initiatives in Florida, Missouri and Texas after the Million Marijuana March on Washington D.C. in May 1999, Blevins was Jeannie from TV's I Dream of Jeannie. There followed several characters including Glitter Girl before she dyed her long blond hair pink and became Barbie. Barbie will tour Jacksonville, Tallahassee and Tampa in coming weeks. "I don't go anywhere -- I don't go to the store without my costume. And people -- you see -- people always come up to me," Blevins said. She garnered 150 signatures locally. The Florida total stands at 10 percent of her goal: 450,000 endorsements of a plan that would license patients to use marijuana. "It's difficult because people don't want to go against the law," said Eliette Doyle, a nurse with the Department of Health who signed the petition. "But they do it for other drugs," said nurse Eileen Freedman of government licensing, "I don't see why it's taken so long." To view or sign the petition, visit www.medicalrights.org - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake