I find it ironic and offensive that the Florida sheriffs have all but seamlessly aligned themselves with the no-on-2 organization -- with some sheriffs even posting the group's ads on their Facebook accounts - -- as this organization's campaign is:

* Funded by millions of dollars in gambling money.

* Promoting the treatment of medical conditions with only Big Pharma/FDA-approved prescriptions of medications like oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine or Xanax.

This organization states the devil's in the details; however, in this group the devil is clearly far more involved. The fabrications, falsehoods and hobgoblins put forth by these strange bedfellows are designed to instill fear simply to protect their authority; a truly selfish act.

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Manatee County Sheriff Brad Steube states that medical marijuana could be used to treat anorexia, migraines, muscle spasms, neck pain, back pain, menstrual cramps, throat pain, trouble sleeping and problems eating, which he insinuates are not debilitating.

Sheriff Steube seems to be offering a medical opinion, yet he is not a doctor and has little if any medical knowledge. The fact is each of those conditions could be debilitating and only a physician and not the sheriff can make that diagnosis.

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Sheriff Don Eslinger is fearmongering. His column 'Amendment 2 is a danger to our health, families and quality of life' (Other Views, Sept. 26) is made up of generalizations. He uses the false talking point: 'Shockingly, under Amendment 2, children can be provided marijuana from a physician or a caregiver without parental consent.' However, the Florida Bar's position on physicians' treatment of minors states: 'Generally, minors cannot consent to their own medical treatment.' Additionally, providing treatment without consent could be considered unprofessional conduct.

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