Please find below a recent memo from Florida Attorney General’s office rejecting activist’s petition to reschedule marijuana for medical access. This is notable because Florida is a top five political bellwether state, with an aging population, NORML receives more requests from Florida residents than anywhere else in the country to reform local medical cannabis laws.
Unfortunately, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi’s office has rejected a petition from the Cannabis Action Network to reschedule cannabis so that sick, dying and sense-threatened medical patients with a doctor’s recommendation can possess and use it legally. As often is the case at the state level, the Attorney General is deferring to federal laws and Congressional intent.
PAM BONDI
ATTORNEY GENERAL
STATE OF FLORIDA
OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERALAdministrative Law Bureau
Edward A. Tellechea
Chief Assistant Attorney General
PL-01, The Capitol
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1050
Phone (850) 414-3300
Fax (850) 922-6425December 12, 2012
Jodi James
Director, Cannabis Action Network
Melbourne, FLMs. James:
Thank you for your petition wherein you request that the Attorney
General temporarily reschedule cannabis. I have been asked to
respond on the Attorney General’s behalf.Section 893.0355, Florida Statutes, delegates to the Attorney
General the authority to temporarily reschedule controlled
substances set forth in Section 893.03(1), Florida Statutes, by rule
and addresses what factors shall be considered when making such a
determination. The statute reads in part as follows:(3) In making the public interest determination, the Attorney
General shall give great weight to the scheduling rules adopted by
the United States Attorney General subsequent to such substances
being listed in Schedules I, II, III, IV, and V hereof, to achieve
the original legislative purpose of the Florida Comprehensive Drug
Abuse Prevention and Control Act of maintaining uniformity between
the laws of Florida and the laws of the United States with respect
to controlled substances.The above quoted statutory language makes it very clear that when
determining whether a controlled substance should be rescheduled the
Attorney General must give great weight to the current drug
scheduling under federal law. In addition, Florida law also strongly
encourages uniformity in Florida and federal drug scheduling.The Attorney General does not believe that it is in the best
interest of the public for her to use her authority to temporarily
reschedule cannabis, particularly given the legislative preference
for uniformity with federal drug laws and the fact that cannabis
remains a Schedule I drug under federal law.Sincerely,
Edward A. Tellechea
Chief Assistant Attorney General
A weak excuse. Conformity to crap is not in Florida’s best interest. What I just read says, ‘I can’t make a decision and defer to those who also didn’t bother making a decision. Here, have slice of this shitpie’ Just read the name of this law, “Florida Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act”. Letting people access marjiuana will reduce the amount of dangerous drugs that are killing people and it is completely in line with “Drug Abuse Prevention”.
Why isn’t this attorney general sending a letter to the feds asking for an exemption? Too lazy to do the job?
i would say that Pam Bondi wants to keep her head in the sand and continue the WAR ON THE PEOPLE. I believe FLORIDA is headed in a new direction come the next election . This currant administration is polling at about a 38% approval rate. Florida is a changing state and the old guard drug warriors are nearly out the door. they just can not give up seizing property,arresting young people for smoking a harmless plant and jailing them. its your young people these do gooders want to ruin the lives of! To continue on they have to ignore facts and the direction a now majority of our people want to take concerning prohibition as well as ignoring the seniors who want the benefits of medical marijuana. California has had medical MJ for almost 15 years and the world did not end. The effort to keep marijuana a class I substance when it does not even meet the governments own criteria of a class I substance is beyond me. FLORIDA COULD DECRIMINALIZE SMALL AMOUNTS AT THE VERY LEAST. This state is a big player and should join the movement for legalization. But as for the mindless babble coming out of our state house I say just wait. A new governor is on the way. FLORIDA could sure could use the revenue from legalization. BUT I WOULD NOT EXPECT MUCH FROM RICK SCOTT &CO.. Identify these politicians and vote them out.
As someone in a political career, and who wishes to continue in that career, she’s not going to rock the boat. What did you expect she’d do?
It appears it’s about time for this tool of big Pharma to be told “No!” to another term of office. Should she and her minions wish to continue Prohibition, it’s “high time” THEY ponied up the dollars for it.
Another moron at the top. It shouldn’t suprise anyone, these people can’t even count votes.There are lines out the door at the meth clinics, pop your pill, (who cares about the pills side effects) get in your car and come back next week, that is if your not dead from an OD after getting the rest of the pills on the street. Unfortunately I live here and I can’t wait to get out!
lost me vote 🙁 losers
It is truly barbaric for anyone to deny medicine to people. Marijuana is medicine. Between 1840 and 1900 about half of the prescriptions written by doctors contained cannabis. Over 100 papers were reported in medical literature of that time. Google marijuana and cancer. You will find that not only is it used to treat side effects of chemotherapy but that medicine in the plant has direct anti tumor properties.
Frankly, the Federal scheduling amounts to an outright, untenable lie. Seems like she just couldn’t summon the courage needed to make the right decision for the people of Florida.
This is really not surprising at all. Some parts of Florida are extremely conservative. FL does not rate high on my list of states likely to reform their cannabis laws.
All those retired and elderly folks that could use cannabis, how sad.
This is expected, but Florida is also home of the so-called “Pill Mills” (which I guess they’re walking back from now) that make it easy for people to abuse prescription pain medications. Opiate-based meds are far more addictive and destructive than marijuana use. They may be deferring to Federal laws, but from what I can see, the state’s being hypocritical.
Surprise, surprise. Florida likely will be one of those States that will be among the last to make such a change regardless if the feds legalized it tomorrow.
Clearly, Florida is not a state where I will be spending my tourism dollars. Colorado looks much sunnier, even Washington, than Florida 🙂
Just give it some time ladies and gentlement. When other states see the ecomic impact of colorado and washington they will be on board. Especially if colorado and washington use the hemp plant to make products! Stay motivated, educate yourself, and ALWAYS VOTE!
*economic
just say KNOW!
Fl Gov Rick Scott made his fortune in healthcare,tried and failed to institute a drug test for welfare recipients.Fl legislature is all conservative,well mostly.Its a shame,Cannibus could do well as an outdoor crop here.
Its a shame We could be one of the best outdoor grow states,2 growing seasons basically.
If Congress will pass House Bill 6606 to get the feds out of the way, Florida ought to be the next state to jump on the cannabis money train.
These people in D.C. keep finding ways of pissing off the little people like me. Leona Hemsley was right: “Only little people pay taxes.” Yes, I pay my taxes, and as a person who was diagnosed with cancer I want to pay even more taxes once cannabis is legal, instead of doing without it! I want the government to stop fucking around and get the hell out of the way.
I swear, Pennsylvania sucks. And I can’t move. Not everyone can move to an MMJ state or to Washington or Colorado. Pennsylvania will flip after New York state. Sure could use the revenues to Fund Education with Strict Regulation, fund state pensions and more. But no, Governor Corbett has decided on austerity, won’t raise taxes, yet is giving Shell like a billion dollar tax break to build a natural gas processing plant out in Pittsburgh to continue nurturing himself on the teets of the Marcellus Shale frackers. Shell, poor babies, are really hurting for that money, like they don’t make enough off gasoline and oil exploration so as it is?
I’m disgusted! I don’t want to wait for Florida. A lot of northerners retire in Florida, so it’s just too bad there’s no reciprocity in mentality about cannabis. Might be for the better. New York flips, others, including Florida follows.
Barry, I hope you’re going to visit some of the old Choom Gang and toke it up, then go back to D.C. and get the feds out of the way.
Thanks to Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi I have just added Florida to my list of places I will not even consider taking my family for vacation! I dread the thought of my kids getting caught up in this kind of prohibition idiocy! Lately, it seems as though one of the qualifications to be an Attorney General is to be ignorant about marijuana. Why is that???
Hello everybody the time is a wonderful time…,a time to enjoy…,tiz the season with a beutiful dank christmas tree to admire and enjoy with great admiral admiration to take home with you and hang on the refridgerater door to glance at as you have your morning cup of coffee and you think and plan out your day for all the wonderful activities that may follow etc…. happy holidays and have a good day.
May he never contract a terribly painful disease.
I’ve been in pain for years, but the only legal remedies are destructive, so I’ve chosen not to medicate, yet. So here is sit, in pain. Thanks, government.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-20810603
Florida has been up its ass quite a while over marijuana. Even tho I would bet 80% of them smoke it… or at least more than 50%.
What they are not saying is that they are happy to prevent the sick from receiving medicine. All this waffle about keeping in line with federal law might sound very good but what about the people who are suffering. If 18 other states or districts can do it then why not Florida. This response definitely needs further questioning. I would like them to confirm that all this legal compliance outweighs the needs of the sick and the compliance with federal is worth people’s suffering and quite possibly early deaths.
These political types need to be made aware that consigning people to pain and death means a quick exit from office.
Asking the Florida Attorney General is like asking the DEA to reschedule marijuana. Never going to happen!
When is someone going to do a Florida Amendment? Now I cannot vote because I was convicted with 23 grams of marijuana which is a felony in 1999, but I will help collect signatures on my days off.
Also get rid of Bondi and Governor baldy we need politicians that work for the people not the Republican party.
so my options for migraine headaches, arthritic pain, insomnia, anxiety (by-product of depression & 9/11 ptsd) are chemically engineered addictive pills or organ-rotting alcohol because the atty general personally knows what will help me. and let’s not forget law enforcement and innocent citizens who have DIED because some jackass behind a desk hasn’t read a history book on prohibition and it’s consequences. by the way, i tried the legally sanctioned remedies, i ended up in the hospital.
Any state that locks people in cages for trying to take care of themselves has no right to critisize anyones human rights records.
Has anyone else noticed that the self-rightous republican party always claim they are PRO freedom when in fact they always VOTE against medical weed which is an important personal freedom and effective medicine to any cancer patient.
They have no guts, they do not represent the citizens or cancer victims of Florida, Most of them preach morality when they campaign only to show no mercy or compassion as soon as they take office. What kind of person does that? The republican leadership bring to my mind visions of a huge, perpetual Klan rally that hates every single day 24-7 or the third reicht goose-stepping all over our rights.
The republicans and their party are obsolete! They are no more moral than the Taliban or the corrupt Mullahs who dictate instead of lead.
They are impeding progress of free people!
See Ya’ Bondi and Bozo! There is no excuse for voting against medical weed anymore based on scientific evidence.
I hope they get cancer, try to cop a bag for relief and get busted and end up in jail but this never happens to the ELITE.
Still hope they get cancer of their private parts so they better empathize with our situation….
We have the numbers… We won in two(2) states. Keep on rollin’! Keep the fight up until we have total victory! Keep on smokin’! 420 Have’nt you seen the movies? Good side always wins!!! Boo YAH!
There are plenty of big pharma opium pills for everyone! She does not want to cut into those profits that big pharma are making getting everybogy hooked on opium. Big pharma got her elected. When she gets cancer from our polluted world she can get doped up on opium and pray for a big pharma cure that will never happen.
So many, so afraid. Why oh why did you choose public office if you had no intention of supporting said public?
For a state that is so Lax on Gun laws, makes a ton of money off tourism, and has one of largest elder communities, why is this bitch not taking action. I’ve lived here my whole life, and I’d say 1 out of 4 people smoke on a regular basis. Even the 60+ people are voting to legalize, for medical reasons, it’s not like Florida is immune from cancer??!! And if anything it’ll crack down on kids destroying their brains with Spice and drug pushers selling cocaine. It’s just ignorant, I’ll be sure not to vote for Pam for any reelection. Who’s with me? Florida it’s time to Stand Up!
This is pretty hypocritical as one of the few ppl prescribed federal medical mary live in south Florida. http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/view.source.php?sourceID=009029
They are just ignorant as the illegal trade is always in bloom it has never been difficult to get mj in south Florida. They just want to criminalize us to limit our rights. Florida is home to the most indoor grows. Florida is the supplier of pills to the rest of the country. It is a state which is a leader in fraud. Great place huh I would call it the scourge of the country. I think they have bigger fish to fry. But hey they know best right I’m sure they are all very logical and educated. I just hope when it is legal that we can hold the ppl who stood against the legalization, responsible for ruining lives even if we can just nab a couple and make examples of them as they have done to so many of us.
This is BS I say we march on her office ASAP
its as simple as this the people of florida do not want marijuana legalized or medically available so let them have their way. The people in Colorado and Washington are simply different. Start respecting peoples ways of life please. Florida will be the last state to make medically legal if at all ever…
IF YOU DONT LIKE STATE LAWS FUCKING MOVE OR DONT SMOKE IF YOU ARE SO AFRAID OF GETTING ARRESTED THIS IS WHY WE HAVE STATES RIGHTS THE STATES ARE LIKE INDIVIDUAL COUNTRIES. I AM SO TIRED OF HEARING PEOPLE COMPLAIN PEOPLE ARE GETTING ARRESTED MOVE OUT WEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The drug war isn’t about drugs. It’s about money. Most people pay the fines. Prison serves as motivation for other people to pay the fine. Then, there’s the forfeitures. Everybody is making money on both sides. Money that would be lost if everything was above board. Like if the money was legal and being taxed. Governments, federal and local, buy expensive equipment, pay tons of overtime, etc. etc. Everybody is making money. Too bad so many people have to die in the process. Even the law enforcement who benefits from the drug war, sacrifice their own lives because of the benefit of all of that money. We are going to have to mass up and overthrow those who choose money over what’s best for the whole country, in fact the whole world.
In Tennessee cannabis is Schedule six. SIX!!! Even so, it’s still illegal here because the feds say so.
@ ” chris says:
December 25, 2012 at 3:07 pm
IF YOU DONT LIKE STATE LAWS…MOVE OUT WEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
– _ – _ – _ – _
Great idea, Chris!
Simple and easy to say,
EXCEPT it’s REALLY EXPENSIVE for most to “Just Relocate”.
EVEN IF one has friends, relatives, new residence
and / or job awaiting them in WA, OR, CA, AZ or CO.
Even more difficult IF one is barely subsisting on severely-limited
Social Insecurity retirement income in Dumpwater, FL
OR is minimally-employed in marijuana-hostile Mayberry, USA.
I am disheartened that it seems FL will be among the last states to approve medical use of cannabis. This doesn’t have much to do with party politics, however. Many Democrats are against it. Vice President Biden and Attorney General Holder are serious drug warriors. Marijuana prohibition is an ideology that is hard for some to give up, especially when the whole criminal (in)justice system thrives on it. One would think that concern for her constituents would lead Attorney General Bondi to comply with the request she was given instead of vowing allegiance to the federal government.
Well I think it is time to vote out Pam Bondi,she really is not up to date on what our voters want.We need this medicine to help people who are sick. I think she wants Florida to be the last State to ok Cannibis for medical use in the country. Look at the states who have ok’d the use of medical cannibis,from the littlest state Rhode Island to California,and you will see this program really works!!!!
FLORIDA CITY ATTORNEY OF 37 YEARS, VETERAN AIR FORCE CAPTAIN- “LEGALIZE MARIJUANA” http://www.tampabay.com/news/perspective/time-has-come-to-legalize-marijuana/1263688
ENDING PARAGRAPHS:
If my assumptions and analysis are anywhere near close to being accurate, the answer is easy. Why are the people in Colorado and Washington state so much smarter than we are? Like you, I was raised and encouraged to believe by my society that use of marijuana is an evil. Almost a century ago the majority of Americans must have thought the use of alcohol was immoral or destructive; otherwise would we have had Prohibition? We now have our own prohibition regarding the recreational use of marijuana. Why? We don’t seem to be able to learn. Any politician who was to encourage a change in this policy would certainly put himself or herself at risk from the overreaction of people who are not willing to think this thing through. Often we are not willing to recognize the illogic and stupidity of ideas that were imposed upon us over many, many decades. We have been conditioned to think in a certain way.
But I’m tired of letting the bad guys win. I’m tired of paying massive amounts of money to control something that many of my fellow citizens want to use. I’m tired of letting the vast amounts of revenue from the sale of this product go to criminals. I’m tired of criminalizing large numbers of young men and paying the enormous costs of their arrest, prosecution and incarceration; not to mention all the costs of social services that accompany that process and rarely result in any recognizable success.
I’m tired of my country being the loser and the bad guys being the winner. We cannot and will not stop the flow of marijuana into this country or the use of marijuana by millions of our citizens because they see nothing wrong with it. It is time to be realistic and sensible and change our thinking and change the law. Get smarter and get real.
John G. Hubbard, who served as a captain in the Air Force from 1967 to 1971 and as a special agent in the Office of Special Investigations, is a lawyer in the firm of Frazer, Hubbard, Brandt, Trask, Yacavone, Metz and Daigneault in Dunedin. He was Dunedin’s city attorney for 37 years before retiring last year.
There isn’t anything “wrong” with marijuana or using it. This is simply a case of respect. If my activities are neutral, then I’m not committing a crime. Marijuana is illegal so that me and my friends can be picked on, disrespected, fined, jailed and pushed to the side. So I really want to know, is this what America is about?
Michelle Leonhart Bondi!!!!! Thank God Pam Bondi rescued the poor folks in Fl from the evil possibilities of medicinal marijuana. Are you smarter than a fifth grader Pam? Over 100,000 alcohol related deaths last year. More deaths from tobacco annually than from HIV,illegal drug use,alcohol use,motor vehicle accidents,suicides and murders combined….DID YOU KNOW THAT Pam? Did you know that NO ONE has ever died smoking or ingesting cannabis? I have a fifth grade grandson….who knows more about marijuana than you do….YOU PAM BONDI are merely a puppet….much like the ones pulling your strings in Washington!!! I love it,shes hillarious!!!
i wonder how the feds can sleep at night after thinking about it they are the reason why thosands of your childern die in the US everyday… pregnet women addiced to tabbaco witch the feds allow the sale of these products killing the child at birth or than that kid is more likly to use tabbaco when they get older all beacse of fear of going to jail over somthing harmless this florida general or the feds should ban tobacco and legalize marijuana or send them self to jail for being apart of genicide witch is a federal crime!!! witch i deeply suport norml in what they are doing or what they have done thanks norml everything you have done has been right
http://youtu.be/QiBcC8_goVg . vote here but out your sheriff has more power than she dos
If the state has made it leagle for cannabis then the sheriff has the power to run all these gov thugs out legally
Ok America…enough is enough! Sadly, in the New Year, countless peoples will lose their jobs, pay higher taxes, crime JUST TO SURVIVE will become rampant…WE ARE GOING BROKE!! The fiscal Cliff will be a disaster…does Washington care? or the “Elected ” officials in other states care? While people will be hungry, losing their homes, denied healthcare…no..they will be in their stately mansion…enjoying warmth and fine dining while the children are starving in the streets.! Is this America as we are suppose to know it? To all the damn Republicans, Democtrats and other groups/parties out there…get your damn heads out of the sand, stop worrying about whats going on in places we arent needed…take a good hard look at “us”..the American People! Legalize Med.marijuana/rec.marijuana…tax it..and each state use the money to resourceful things. betcha we wont be in a “Financial Crisis” for too long!
Florida seems to have as many money grubbing redneck politicians as Texas has. NORMAL needs to go after these jack asses real hard. The people in the south don’t want their kids being branded for life with these stupid anti pot laws. A misdemeanor in the south for a small personal use amount can costs upwards of $10,000 for a first offense. Wanna guess the REAL reason they just keep saying “NO ? Texas has two laws on the books. The cops “could” just give a ticket for $100 or they can waste the resources of the legal system to drag a kid with a joint into jail, have to make bond, go to court, get probation, pay $60 a month probation fees, take random urinalysis, be subject to random raids and searches for no reason anytime, anywhere. Tell your employer, have a ruined record forever and only the richy rich people can get removed. Same old good ole’ boys network just like it was in the Klan days…makes one proud to be a part of the thievery and pot smoker prejudice they spew all over the land…
i think sativa should be more researched while driving because it keeps you up and indica mellows you out because all they say is your driving on marijuana is worse then while your sober but i dont think thats 100% true with sativa… mabey indica but i think if thats the case mabey just sativa should be legal for recreational use and and both for medical use mabey that will make the driving problem solved
the war on drugs is a threat to National Security as seen in 9/11 when terrorists were armed to the teeth with drug money (and many other attacks before and after). The CSA creates the drug black market, while removing the CSA destroys the drug black market, which proves that the CSA is the drug black market, which proves the law is intened to fund gangs and terrorists (intent proven because FEDs and Cops know that drug money finances gangs and terrorists, but do nothing to stop it or change it, proving it’s done on purpose). It’s illegal to arrest Americans for any drugs because the law protects terrorism in the form of directly funding it with the drug black market. So, it shouldn’t be hard to remove the schedulig of Cannabis because we have physical proof that ‘scheduling’ finances terrorism when said drug is on the black market. Even the DEA, CIA, U.N., War College etc etc admit that terrorists sell drugs, as evident in the U.S. military in Afghanistan and previously in Iraq -since all insurgents and terrorist recieve their funding from drug money.
She must be in bed with her Facist governor.
I want to slap people who oppose marijuana, but I’m not a dick like that. I wished people would research marijuana to the fullest extent before they talk negative about it.
As a person with insomnia and no medical card, it is still easy to find marijuana. I would rather pay $5 more for a gram buying it at a licensed store, than buying it from a dealer. I would like to know how and where the marijuana was grown, but that’s not an option every time. I would like to know the THC percentage, but testing costs money.
I hope I see the day when marijuana is legal in the world.
Hope is all I have at this point.
There is a video involving the Chief Administrator of the DEA and U.S. Rep. Jared Polis that everyone should see. – “Michele Leonhart testimony.” She is initially being questioned about the “Fast and furious” program but these people took the opportunity to ask her the hard questions about “pot” (maybe not so hard). Also Rep. Steve Cohen of Memphis has one with her and also “FBI director gets schooled on marijuana legalization” These should be watched by anyone who has any interest in legalizing Cannabis, unfortunately it just shows that the people running things are really not very rational.
Michelle Leonhart and the DEA…hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha….I want to see her on ”Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader”….can you say puppett?
Let’s share this with all of our twitter, facebook, myspace, google+ friends and FLOOD our legislators with traffic regarding our desire to be the next state to De-criminalize Marijuana.
Billy, since marijuana doesn’t stop you from being able to think, you can still drive. Marijuana is not a sedative, neither indica nor sativa. What marijuana does is temporarily reduce your stress. If you stress level is keeping you wired and alert via adrenaline or caffeine, like worrying about something or pain from some injury it is the stress keeping your system up and running when you’re supposed to be resting and recovering. Indica is just better at breaking that stress cycle than is sativa so you can rest. It doesn’t put you to sleep like alcohol or other sedatives.
Also, since you can still think under marijuana’s effects, you can also realize you’re too tired to drive; whereas when drunk you will often believe you’re perfectly fine to drive. Alcohol kills the ability to realize what condition you are in. Marijuana has no such affect.
I just got thrown in jail for a gram of medicinal cannabis . I just moved from Boulder, CO where I lived for 12 years. Its money down here in hillbilly land. A lot of government people would lose their jobs and paychecks down here in dim old states. hat people dont want to lose their jobs. This isnt a war on drugs it a war on evceryones families, period.
I am a 61 year old pain patient with good mental abilities. These laws to prohibit the use of substances to help with pain are rediculas. Why does my health care part D allow morphine, but not the pain patch that is non narcotic? Good question. It is like the rest of the policies, it just doesn’t seem right. Tax the substance, lets get this country out of debt and on a better track.
Vote her out. There are many sick people in Florida that Cannabis would improve their quality of life.
what everyone needs to do is write editorials and make some noise. medical keeps being voted down in PA, and our legislators act like no one is for it the same as they do in Florida. We have 80% support so get the word out and make them act this year!!!
This is the attorney general that allowed pill mills to flourish in the state until the death toll hit an amount where the backlash forced her to act. She also allowed Deborah lafay to get house arrest after raping a child. So she odviously outta touch with the way the law is suppose to work so we cannot expect anything she does to make any sense.
I feel sorry for the people in Florida. I know there are a lot of retired people that live there. I would imagine they have been brainwashed their whole lives about the so called evils of cannabis. But oh my gosh that Gov you have. I don’t think things will get any better as long as he is in the drivers seat. Vote him out. He is taking the constitution and flushing it down the toilet.
I have had spine fusion t4-t10 since 1996 due to scheurmanns kyphosis degenerative disk disease I also have ankylosing spondylitis due to instrumentation of Harrington rods for fusion I am currently on major narcotics to treat pain which includes fentanyl in the past I have found that certain strained of cannabis helps my pain control almost as much as these government prescribed narcotics but have been threatened by my doctors that I will loose all my medicines if I continue to use cannabis. I think it’s nuts that my life has to be dictated because of my use of cannabis to treat my conditions.so now I don’t get the relief I need with these pills they keep feeding me. I don’t think the government can truly say that the cannabis I was using is more dangerous for my health than all the narcotics the doctors have prescribed. I think it’s totally bogus that patients like me can’t get the medical benefits that cannabis provides for my pain and that I will loose all medicine because of the use of it. Our government needs to change these outdated laws and start helping patients who can truly benefit more from cannabis than they do from narcotics.
So she’s one of those that has her own agenda; other than what Florida citizens want…Pam Bondi needs to be ousted out of her office and someone that will work for the citizens…but states can go around her; if she wants to do things the hard way.
Way to drag your feet; and snub the will of the people of Florida…I suppose you get some nice kick backs from those wishing to keep cannabis illicit.
Perhaps; some people could look closer at her ties and deals…and uncover some corruption, she’ll step down to avoid prosecution just like all the others; caught with their hands in the cookie jar.
So what plans does NORML have to make Pam Bondi’s life miserable until she listens to the voice of the people instead of making up our minds for us?
I would like to know NORML’s plan to aggressively address this until we get victory like Washington and Colorado did. The climate is right for the population to accept this in Florida right now.
You guys ask for donations to help. What are you going to do?
[Editor’s note: Firstly, these kinds of personal freedoms are not gained by out of staters parachuting into a particular state and bringing freedom to those who don’t achieve it on their own. Colorado and Washington are not Florida. The politics are entirely different in the Sunshine State, there are a dozen expensive media markets, the state is still in recoil mode from the ‘cocaine war’ days of the 1980s and the legislature has largely avoided the topic for over 20 years.
What has to be done to get medical cannabis on the political map in FL?
Like cannabis consumers in states like CA, OR, WA, CO, MA…etc…FL citizens need to better organize in the state.
Question: Are you a member of FL CAN and/or FL NORML?]
Actually, I contacted you regarding starting a chapter in the Central Florida area that was not attached to a college and received no reply whatsoever from you, but thank you for deflecting my question back to me.
[Paul Armentano responds: There is an active NORML chapter in the central Florida region: http://normlucf.com/
http://www.facebook.com/groups/2200254398/?fref=ts.%5D
I want you guy’s to go to the south —of florida..
if you cant” perhaps,you don’t deserve,to go beyond, the bermuda–triangle,
Thanks again for responding to my post without reading it. I know about the NORML chapter at UCF. I follow their FB page. I am 50 years old and for myself and many fringe baby boomers, the UCF chapter is NOT for us. I also feel the demographic I belong to will be the deciding factor in Florida. I constantly reach out to the elected officials in our area and feel I could do more, but I would like to be able to connect with people I can relate to and not a college chapter. I have submitted my contact information to you if you are interested. If not, that’s cool as well.
[Editor’s note: Self-evidently your comment was read….if you can’t find a fit with your local NORML or CAN chapter in FL, then consider establishing a NORML chapter closer.]
Am I the only person that doesn’t have a problem with her response. I’m a Florida resident who pushes hard for marijuana reform here. The problem isn’t the Attn.General, its the legislation. Her job is to enforce the laws as written, not change the law. Seems to me that the focus should be on supporting house bill 6066 in the Federal House and not on bashing Florida’s Attn. General.
As a former state of Florida employee, I can tell you with a great deal of certainty that if you expect Florida or it’s people (Floridiots) to use basic logic, you will wait for a very long time. This is not a smart state. They don’t vote, think, or generate revenue well. While I’m a firm believer in legalization. I can promise that Florida will be the very last state to legalize. Florida is dead last in everything for a reason. Frankly, as a Northerner living among these people I can say confidently that Florida is a shining example of an unfinished civil war….
The above comment from Tommy is on the mark 100%..
Started but deleted the rest of my comment. too tired and too sick to type what I really feel about the hanging penis of the US.
…and especially not a governor that supports the pill industry…i have written gov.Scott about legalization of cannabis and, his office contends they will do nothing until our federal government changes…..this makes me hate florida…..the state government that is…not its people….
Tommy, she is the problem. She does have the authority to just that, but she turns around and passes the buck. There isn’t any “compelling need” to match Florida’s and the Federal’s bogus scheduling system. If Florida has a problem the rest of the country doesn’t she has the authority to act. If the rest of the country is having a problem and Florida is not, she has the authority to act. As a state official, she should be putting this through so Florida can stop requiring itself to waste money harassing sick people and their care givers.
This is not rocket science.
Opps, I meant Phil. The law as written does give her the authority to make these decisions. It is a “temporary exemption”. And it is a bad decision to not bother helping people.
PAM BONDI’S FATHER DIED FROM LEUKEMIA TODAY–THIS IS HER WAKE UP CALL..CANNABIS KILLS LEUKEMIA CELLS–http://blog.norml.org/2013/01/09/ny-governor-cuomo-reaffirms-commitment-to-marijuana-decriminalization/ COULD HAVE SAVED HIM–THIS IS YOU WAKE UP CALL–
So basically, Pam Bondi doesn’t care about what the people want and doesn’t want the people to vote because she knows what they will vote for. She cares about her beliefs only. This is probably why Florida’s economy is especially shitty right now, because people who need this plant for medical reasons don’t or can’t live there.
Dont tell me Pam Bondi’s family dont smoke bud to deal with her tight ass way of thinking
Keeping the American people misinformed and distracted along with effective propaganda has been quite impressive. It all boils down to Americans being pretty fucking stupid or a nicer way to say it would be to say, uneducated and not doing our duties. Its not even so much about this amazingly beneficial plant, the gov violated all Americans, and claimed ownership over every individual so that you can no longer live as you see fit, manage yourself, or make decisions for yourself without punishment or permission from them. Most American are easily defeated by simple play on values, using your good nature against you ie. For your “Safety” “Health” “Protection” “Children are in danger” A major defeating component to Americans is the implications on the common good in word play with every deceptive action committed, but it is not for good, it is only to defeat you. These con artist (politicians and government)are liars. Don’t forget that these are our employees using our own money against us.
Not looking to get re-elected are you Pam? It is time to change the law,let us put it to a vote.Medical use,should be allowed as soon as possible. There are so many people that it would help.Thank God for people like Jodi James,maybe she should run for Attorney General!
If you want medical marijuana to be illegal you WANT me & those like me to suffer, period.
if we are allowed to own guns in case the government got out of hand we the people can step in with guns to reclaim our country, how do we know when the time has come?
answer: we’re shit out of luck
Florida and the Federal government need to keep up with changes in medical marijuana. In the EC and Canada truly medical marijuana is used to treat pain and disease. True medical marijuana is high the substance CBD and lower in THC than in pothead marijuana. True medical marijuana is used to treat schizophrenia symptoms, clarifies thinking and reduces pain. Far less toxic than opiates, when used as a vegetable oil or glycerin extract it is highly beneficial to the health of patients who really need it. But, the DEA, prison system, and big Pharma would lose money.
We could solve so many of the States and counties budget problems with the tax monies that could be collected off of medical marijuana use. We are being ran by a bunch of people that rather say no. What ever happen to for the people by the people. Now it’s by big money for big money. Florida Democrats need to get out and Vote these Republican Teabaggers out. For The People By The People……
We could solve so many of the States and counties budget problems with the tax monies that could be collected off of medical marijuana use. We are being ran by a bunch of people that rather say no. What ever happen to for the people by the people. Now it’s by big money for big money. Florida Democrats need to get out and Vote these Republican Teabaggers out. For The People By The People……
Democratic and Republican elected officials oppose Marijuana alike. This is a question about liberty and the role government plays in your life. If you want real change, elect a libertarian.
Fire Her; it is the Will of the People. Put it to a vote in Florida.
The only reason is because she cant prosecut or make money off it
I don’t smoke though just saying
No surprises here.