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John Morgan’s suit says smoking pot actually good for the lungs

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Medical marijuana advocate John Morgan says cannabis smoking doesn’t “impair lung function” and even “increase(s) lung capacity,” as part of his lawsuit to be filed against the state Thursday. Florida Politics on Wednesday night acquired a copy of the 15-page complaint that Morgan says he will file in Leon Circuit Civil court in Tallahassee—against which a leading House Republican has already said the state will prevail. Morgan, the main backer of the marijuana amendment that passed last year, has said he would sue because…

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Implementation of medical marijuana amendment brings together unlikely allies

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With establishment lobbyists now representing it, the medical marijuana cause appears to have become—grab your pearls—respectable. Florida for Care, the nonprofit organization that is advocating for “well-regulated” medicinal pot in the state, has hired Brecht Heuchan and The Mayernick Group to advocate for its interests. Heuchan, who says he voted against the medical marijuana constitutional amendment this November, has worked for Gov. Rick Scott’s Let’s Get to Work PAC. He’ll lobby the executive agencies. “I didn’t want Florida to be like California but my vote…

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Bong ban doesn’t apply to medical pot, advocate says

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Florida’s bong ban, as toothless as critics say it may be, now is preempted by the recently approved constitutional amendment on medical marijuana. That’s according to Ben Pollara, campaign manager of United for Care. The group has fought for the ballot initiative, which first failed in 2014 before passing this year with 71 percent of the vote. State law prohibits devices such as “metal, wooden, acrylic, glass, stone, plastic, or ceramic pipes,” commonly known as “bongs,” when used to smoke…

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Backers release ‘intent’ statement for medical pot amendment

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The team behind this year’s medical marijuana amendment has released an 11-page “intent” memo for voters to “understand the purposes” of the initiative. “Voters should vote for an amendment fully understanding the intent of the drafters,” said the document, obtained by FloridaPolitics.com on Monday. “Fostering voter understanding is the central purpose of this memo, and we do so by expressing the intent of the individuals who drafted the language.” The proposed change, which will be Amendment 2 on the November…

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Tampa Bay residents overwhelmingly support medical marijuana

in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by

When personal injury attorney John Morgan’s medical marijuana amendment failed in 2014 at the ballot box, it did so with 58 percent approval. In many other states, that would have meant it was approved. So now he’s giving it another go. If results of the latest Tampa Bay Times/WTSP poll are any indication, he’s on his way to an easy victory this time around. According to the poll, nearly three-quarters of Tampa Bay residents support legalizing marijuana for medical uses.…

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Halsey Beshears tangled up in Charlotte’s Web

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As the Florida House was about to pass the legal guidelines for growing medical pot in our state, an amendment ensured a small group of Florida nurseries would be the only folks allowed to propose handling the crop. The amended bill was signed into law by Gov. Rick Scott in 2014. News reports at the time speculated that the nurseries trade association, Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association (FNGLA) had a hand in the amendment. But Association CEO Ben Bolusky told the News-Press.com: “The association did…

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Pinellas sheriff wants legislative fix to medical pot, not an amendment

in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by

Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri wants the Florida Legislature to figure something out when it comes to medical marijuana. During a Suncoast Tiger Bay luncheon Thursday, marijuana reform was the talk of the day. Gualtieri was asked several times about medical marijuana and once about recreational. He told the group of about 50 Tiger Bay members and guests he was actively supportive of the state’s Charlotte’s Web bill that passed during the 2014 Legislature. Charlotte’s Web is a strain of…

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