Marijuana Legislation

Attached a link http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/riptide/2012/01/medical_marijuana_bills_introd.php to an article titled "Medical Marijuana Bills Introduced In Florida Senate and House" reporting that State Sen. Larcenia Bullard (D-Miami) has " fired up a big ol' blunt of legislative reform..", , as her proposal to give Florida voters a chance to legalize medical marijuana was introduced in the Senate. Bullard's bill joins a similar proposal by Rep. Jeff Clemens (D-Lake Worth) in the House -- the first time in decades that both Florida chambers have had marijuana reform bills at the same time. Both the House and the Senate resolution would put the legalization of medical pot into the hands of voters, adding a statewide referendum later this year that would need 60 percent approval to pass. Sixteen other states around the country have already legalized some uses of marijuana; Miami Beach advocates recently collected enough signatures to force a vote on whether to decriminalize small amounts of weed, although the city attorney is still contesting that referendum. Sen. Larcenia Bullard, D-Miami, who is sponsoring the bill in the Senate, said that what started as a courtesy filing has become a cause for her, after she started looking into it. Her belief that it should pass stems from 1) wanting to de-glamorize it for young people who are looking to do something illegal, and 2) the medical relief it offers to those who need it. And it’s good for the state budget, too, she said. “The state spends $288 million of effort due to the prohibition of marijuana,” she said, adding that it could also be a source of tax revenue. For more information and the original text of both resolutions see HJR 353 at http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Documents/loaddoc.aspx?FileName=_h0353__.docx&DocumentType=Bill&BillNumber=0353&Session=2012 and SJR 1028 at http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Documents/loaddoc.aspx?FileName=_s1028__.DOCX&DocumentType=Bill&BillNumber=1028&Session=2012. I strongly urge all of you to OPPOSE such initiatives to legalize and promote the medical use of marijuana!!! There is currently no conclusive evidence that marijuana, in the smoked form, has accepted medical use for treatment. Furthermore, marijuana has a high potential for abuse and lacks the safety of medical supervision. The science, though still evolving, is clear: marijuana use is harmful. Marijuana smoke contains more than 400 chemicals, including most of the harmful substances found in tobacco smoke. While marijuana may provide relief from pain, it is also associated with dependence, respiratory and mental illness, poor motor performance, and cognitive impairment, among other negative effects. According to recent surveys marijuana use among youth is on the rise. Nearly two thirds (63 percent in 2009) of the first time users of marijuana are below the age of 18. Research shows that people who used marijuana before age 15 are six times more likely to develop a substance use disorder later in life than those who did not start using until they were 18 or older. Making marijuana more available through legalization efforts will lead to greater use and increased dependence. We already know that about 10 percent of marijuana users develop marijuana dependence which costs our communities monetarily and socially. Prolonged marijuana use is associated with lower test scores and lower educational attainment. This drug affects the user’s ability to learn and process information, thus influencing attention, concentration, and short-term memory. I ask for the active support of the Florida Society of Addiction Medicine to lobby against these two House and Senate resolutions. I look forward to your comments. Yours Bernd