Medical Marijuana Initiative Won’t Need Hearing

November 15, 2015

With Attorney General Pam Bondi declining to launch a challenge, the Florida Supreme Court on Friday called off a hearing scheduled for next month on a proposed constitutional amendment that would legalize medical marijuana.

Justices still need to sign off on the wording of the ballot initiative before it could go to voters in November 2016.

But without opposition to the wording, backers of the amendment appear likely to clear a key hurdle in the initiative process.

Bondi fought a similar 2014 initiative at the Supreme Court, but justices allowed the measure to go before voters. Ultimately, the 2014 initiative failed to pass. People United for Medical Marijuana, a political committee backing the legalization effort, tweaked the proposed 2016 ballot language to address concerns raised about the 2014 measure.

In a statement released by her office, Bondi pointed to the 2014 ruling by the Supreme Court and indicated she would not challenge the revised initiative.

“Voters reviewed the language and at the polls made their decision that the (2014) amendment was bad for Florida,” Bondi said. “Based on the court’s decision in 2014, I have not filed a legal challenge to the current amendment, but my concerns with it are the same.”

The Supreme Court was scheduled to hear oral arguments Dec. 8 but issued an order Friday scrapping them. If the Supreme Court approves the amendment’s wording, supporters of the initiative will need to submit 683,149 valid petition signatures to reach the ballot. They had submitted 345,925 as of Friday afternoon, according to the state Division of Elections website.

by The News Service of Florida

Comments

4 Responses to “Medical Marijuana Initiative Won’t Need Hearing”

  1. Bill meincke on November 18th, 2015 7:45 am

    All neg opinions. But the facts reminds it does a lot more good then bad and there is guidelines and as a med card holder from the west coast , when u wake up and can’t move due to arthritis till ur can get some type of thc and then u can carry on with ur day just saying don’t put it done cause someone you know do smoke Mary Jane that is for sure

  2. CT on November 18th, 2015 1:17 am

    Marijuana has been proven to have multiple medicinal uses. From back pain to epileptic seizures. Honestly, it’s completely ridiculous that it was made illegal in the first place. It is a lot safer than alcohol and pain pills. Would you not rather use something grown naturally for pain or pleasure, than whatever is in those pills? Marijuana should be fully legalized. What’s wrong smoking a joint to loosen up a bit, or relax after a hard day at work?

  3. Kyle on November 16th, 2015 6:45 pm

    Has it occurred to anyone else that with the success of the anti-tobacco campaign, that the tobacco companies are looking for a new product to push?

    This kind of repeated attempt does not come without money.

    When you remember that tobacco took a big hit because they were adding nicotine to make cigarettes addictive and then realize marijuana has addictive properties already… making it legal will give big tobacco the new product they want, and they will be able to make a very good argument that people already knew it was addictive.

    The “this stuff is medicine” is just so smoke and mirrors, if you’ll allow the pun.

  4. nod on November 16th, 2015 12:29 pm

    dopers will just keep putting it on the ballot until it’s passed. Why not just make all drugs legal and be done with it!!!!!!!!!!

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News