The Financial Impact Estimating Conference (FIEC) has just concluded a public conference on the petition initiative entitled “Use of Marijuana for Certain Medical Conditions” in Florida.
The FIEC is required by Florida law to review, analyze and estimate the financial impact of amendments to the State Constitution proposed by initiative, and to prepare financial impact statements to accompany all measures proposed on the ballot.
For background, the medical marijuana initiative lists a number of debilitating conditions for which medical marijuana could be legally prescribed in Florida. Among them are cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis. But that list is not truly limiting. The amendment language continues: “…or other conditions for which a physician believes that the medical use of marijuana would likely outweigh the potential health risks for a patient.”
The FIEC has generated various estimates of how many Floridians would toke up… err, take up the opportunity to use medical marijuana.
These estimates range from less than 50,000 to 1.6 million, depending on the criteria used.
Looking only at the prevalence of specific diseases in Florida, about 1.3 million would be eligible users.ย However, considering that physicians could prescribe medical marijuana for people with “other conditions” for which use would outweigh potential risks, this estimate is a conservative one.
Looking at rates of medical marijuana use in other states that permit it already, estimators suggest that only about 173,000 would utilize the opportunity in Florida.
Then, looking at a national survey on recreational marijuana use, the FIEC estimates that about 1.6 million would be interested in such a prescription in Florida.
The panel noted that there is nothing in the amendment language requiring patients to be Florida residents, only that they must see a Florida physician.ย Therefore, they suggest that some level of “medical tourism” may pick up if this amendment is rolled out.
A representative from the Sheriff’s Association was the only to speak. She urged the panel to invite input from the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, citing several statistics on increased crashes and fatalities in states with medical marijuana laws, and encouraged the panel to include the costs of education and prevention initiatives to the fiscal estimate.
“We don’t want to replace Pill Mills with Pot Shops in Florida,” she stated.ย
Next Monday, the FIEC will meet again to hear input from various principles. Today’s panel listed several state agencies that will be invited to provide input, including the Department of Health, FDLE and the Attorney General, Department of Agriculture, Department of Children and Families, and the Department of Revenue.ย
Contact Karen Cyphers at [email protected].
