Pubdate: Fri, 24 Jun 2016
Source: Port St. Lucie Tribune (FL)
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Copyright: 2016 The E.W. Scripps Co.
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ENOUGH REEFER MADNESS - LET'S HAVE A REAL DEBATE ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA

The 1936 film "Reefer Madness" wound up becoming a campy cult classic 
because the movie, originally designed as a warning about the dangers 
of marijuana use, so overdramatized the issue that it's message 
simply couldn't be taken seriously.

Now, with a slew of new polls showing Floridians overwhelmingly 
support the legalization of medical marijuana, opponents of Amendment 
2 - the proposed constitutional amendment to legalize medical pot - 
are themselves edging closer to unintentional satire.

The "Vote No on 2" campaign has launched a series of broadsides, 
including a recent video warning darkly that if the measure passes, 
up to 5,000 marijuana dispensaries could open across Florida, more 
pot shops than McDonald's, 7-Eleven and Starbucks combined.

Just a month earlier, the group had warned that up to 2,000 pot shops 
might open in Florida; estimates from "No on 2" appear to be growing 
faster than the proverbial weed itself.

But the claim is one toke over the line, according to PolitiFact 
Florida, which rated it as "half true." While the state health 
department has projected 1,993 medical marijuana dispensaries could 
be needed to serve potential patients, PolitiFact noted this figure 
isn't definite; the agency and the Legislature would decide the 
actual number of dispensaries and how they are regulated if and when 
the amendment passes.

"No on 2" believes the amendment is "simply a guise to legalize pot 
smoking in Florida." The measure looks as if it may have enough 
support to pass when voters go to the polls this fall, and the 
campaign is trying to create the impression that legalizing marijuana 
for medical purposes will turn Florida into a dystopian stoner's paradise.

That's politics - but it's also too bad. For what Floridians need now 
isn't reefer madness, but a clear-eyed assessment of the potential 
drawbacks - and benefits - of marijuana legalization.

Currently, medical marijuana is legal 25 states and the District of 
Columbia, but critics note the federal government still considers 
marijuana a "Schedule I" drug, and possession remains a federal 
crime. As such, doctors can't "prescribe" it, though they may 
"recommend" it to treat epilepsy, the nausea caused by chemotherapy 
and other maladies.

Florida's Amendment 2 would allow doctors to use their own judgment 
to determine what conditions could be treated with marijuana, but 
critics say this relatively lax standard could amount to de facto 
recreational legalization. And in fact, there's some data to suggest 
that legalization for medical purposes can lead to an increase in 
both marijuana use and marijuana abuse/dependence in people 21 and older.

That's an issue worth discussing - without the hysterics.

Would our kids be at risk? Actually in Colorado, marijuana use among 
teens appears to have dropped since the state legalized recreational use.

At the same time, a recent federal report indicates the legalization 
of marijuana may be related to a surge in drugged-driving deaths.

These are all legitimate, relevant issues. Legalizing medical 
marijuana could make our roads less safe and could lead to more drug 
use across the board. At the same time, it could ease the suffering 
of tens of thousands of Floridians. What's that worth?

The Treasure Coast Newspapers Editorial Board currently takes no 
position on Amendment 2; like many Floridians, we still have 
questions and some misgivings. Nonetheless, we believe in the need 
for informed debate on this issue.

And we fear that if opponents ratchet up the rhetoric to frighten 
voters, any chance at rational discussion is destined to go up in smoke.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom