Pubdate: Sat, 25 Oct 2014
Source: Wall Street Journal (US)
Copyright: 2014 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.wsj.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/487
Author: Arian Campo-Flores
Cited: United for Care http://www.unitedforcare.org/

FLORIDA'S MEDICAL POT VOTE TURNS INTO POLITICAL PARTY BATTLE

MIAMI-A proposed constitutional amendment in Florida that would make
it the first state in the South to legalize medical marijuana is among
the most expensive ballot fights in the country and could affect the
state's hard-fought gubernatorial race.

The battle pits two wealthy donors. Democrat John Morgan, an Orlando
trial lawyer, has pumped about $4 million into United for Care, the
main organization supporting the measure. Republican Sheldon Adelson,
a Las Vegas casino magnate, has contributed about $4 million to the
Drug Free Florida Committee, one of the groups opposing it.

Each camp says it is motivated by personal reasons and accuses the
other side of playing politics. Republicans claim Mr. Morgan, a law
partner of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist, is trying
to drive young Democratic voters to the polls. Democrats counter that
Mr. Adelson, a major contributor to Republican Gov. Rick Scott's
campaign, is trying to bolster his yearslong quest to build a resort
casino in the state. Spending on television ads favoring or fighting
the proposal has reached $3.4 million, the sixth-highest tally
nationally for a ballot measure, according to an analysis by the
Center for Public Integrity.

Polls shows voter support for the measure, which needs to garner 60%
of the vote to pass, has steadily declined, from a high of 88% in a
Quinnipiac University survey in July to 48% in a Tampa Bay Times poll
last week. The polls also consistently indicate strong backing from
young voters and weaker support or opposition from older ones. The
amendment would make Florida the 24th state to legalize medical
marijuana. It would permit its use for people with debilitating
diseases, including cancer, multiple sclerosis and "other conditions"
deemed appropriate by a physician.

Supporters say the measure is aimed at "providing compassionate
relief" to those who need it. They cite medical studies showing
marijuana's effectiveness in treating a range of conditions and argue
that it offers an alternative to drugs like opioids that can leave
patients in a stupor and trigger addiction. Opponents counter that the
amendment is filled with loopholes, including the provision referring
to "other conditions," that make it ripe for abuse.

They also argue that the state legislature is the appropriate forum
for a marijuana measure, not the state constitution, where it would be
difficult to modify an amendment if necessary.

"I have met so many people that are going to benefit," said Mr.
Morgan, whose brother is a quadriplegic who ingests pot-infused
chocolate to relieve discomfort.

"This is de facto legalization of marijuana if it passes," said
Seminole County Sheriff Donald Eslinger, a member of the Florida
Sheriffs Association, which opposes the measure.

Mr. Morgan, who recently embarked on a tour of Florida colleges to try
to whip up support for the amendment, said young voters are critical
to its passage. "They're certainly not motivated by anything else this
election cycle," he said. "So the question is: Will they be motivated
by this?"

For David Escudero, a 19-year-old student at Miami-Dade College and a
Democrat, the answer is yes. He already cast an absentee ballot and
voted in favor of the amendment, and for Mr. Crist. "This issue was
one of the driving forces for me," he said.
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MAP posted-by: Richard