There might be some relief in sight for medical marijuana patients in Florida, which has one of the most restrictive, if not absurd, MMJ programs in the country.
Despite the fact that 71 percent of Florida’s population voted to approve an amendment legalizing MMJ, patients are prohibited from smoking any and all cannabis products, as well as forbidden from consuming edibles.
While Republican Governor Rick Scott says he will sign the practically useless MMJ bill, the principle backer of the amendment intends to sue over the law’s ban on smoking.
That man is Orlando attorney John Morgan, who has been steadfast in defending the rights of that 71 percent who voted for the amendment with the expectation that smoking would be one of the obvious ways to consume cannabis.
Morgan, who will file the lawsuit in Leon County, which encompasses the state capital of Tallahassee, has enlisted constitutional law expert Jon L. Mills, Dean Emeritus of the University of Florida’s Levin School of Law, to help in the coming legal battle.
Senate Democrats recently made a last-ditch attempt to get smoking added, citing that nearly 90 percent of people who use MMJ smoke it, but it was voted down.
Why? Because the Republican naysayers insist that there are no scientific studies to show that smoking pot is more effective than other ways of ingesting it. What?!?
Scientific studies are not exactly in abundance in Florida where Governor Scott, a proud climate and science denier, recently vetoed money for marijuana research.
Besides, Republicans are generally not interested in funding scientific studies, much less actually reading them.
When research is available—peer-reviewed and broadly accepted by science and academia—many Republican lawmakers still reject it.
In the case of Florida, no one quite understands what they have against smoking.
“I don’t know why they would object to anyone on their deathbed wanting to use what they wanted to relieve pain and suffering,” Morgan said, according to WLRN. “If they were really concerned about smoking, why don’t they heavily tax cigarettes?”
One Florida GOP Representative, Ray Rodrigues, said: “If he [Morgan] wants to sue us, that it is his prerogative. I am confident it can be defended in front of a judge.”
With vaping allowed in the MMJ bill, Rodrigues and other Republican lawmakers seem not to know or understand the difference between smoking and vaping, or so they say.
“As a non-user, I can’t give you that answer,” said Rodrigues at a hearing last week in Florida.
Even given the example of boiling a liquid in a glass container until it gives off vapor, he still shrugs his shoulders.
“You can ask this question in any format you want, I will continue to give the same answer,” Rodrigues said, smiling.
In other words, Rodrigues, by your own admission, you’re quite oblivious to logic.
With all due respect, these gentlemen don’t have a clue, and their ignorance should not be allowed to ruin the lives of others.
