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House Health Quality Subcommittee approves medical marijuana implementing bill

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A House panel approved legislation Tuesday that would implement the 2016 medical marijuana constitutional amendment, despite concerns from some advocates the proposal doesnā€™t honor the spirit of the amendment. The House Health Quality Subcommittee voted overwhelmingly to approve a bill (HB 1397) that would implement the 2016 constitutional amendment. Sponsored by House Majority Leader Ray Rodrigues, the bill would, among other things, maintain the current vertically integrated regulatory structure, only allow terminally ill patients to use vaporizers or consume cannabis…

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Florida For Care ā€˜web of influenceā€™ raises questions, concerns about recreational marijuana

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Florida for Care, the group that led the effort to pass Amendment 2 last year, continues to insist its support for expanding medical marijuana in Florida is in no way related to recreational use. For marijuana opponents, however, that simply doesnā€™t cut it. Their claim is that Florida for Care is trying to find a pathway to recreational use instead of helping those patients who need medical marijuana. And as justification for their concerns, some point to theĀ Florida for Care…

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Treat medical marijuana “like medicine,” advocates say

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The right way to put the new constitutional amendment on medical marijuana into effect is to ā€œtreat (it)Ā like medicine,” supportersĀ said Tuesday.Ā  The Senate Health Policy committee held its first workshop for the 2017 Legislative Session on medical cannabis implementation. ā€œThe states that have done it poorly, with a lack of regulation, allowed folks to market and advertise the notion of getting high,ā€ said Ben Pollara, who leads Florida for Care, the organization advocating for ā€œa strong, well-regulated medical marijuana system.ā€…

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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 becomeā€”grab your pearlsā€”respectable. Florida for Care, the nonprofit organizationĀ that is advocating for “well-regulated” medicinal pot in the state, has hiredĀ Brecht Heuchan and The Mayernick Group to advocate forĀ its interests. Heuchan, who says he voted against the medical marijuanaĀ constitutional amendment this November, has worked for Gov. Rick Scottā€™s Let’s Get to WorkĀ PAC. Heā€™ll lobby the executive agencies. “I didnā€™t want Florida to be like California but my vote…

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Medical marijuana’s big Florida win, as voters ‘writ large’ said yes

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Florida voters approved medical marijuana with 71 percent of the vote on Election Day, and a new report commissioned by Florida for Care shows just how widespread support for the measure was in every corner of the state. According to the TLE Analytics report, Amendment 2 reached the 60 percent threshold in each of Floridaā€™s 27 congressional districts, all 40 state Senate districts, and 118 of 120 Florida House districts. The two House districts where the measure failed, HD 110…

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Email insights: For medical marijuana legalziation, there’s always 2016

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When it comes to legalizing medical marijuana, it may once again restĀ in the hands of Florida voters. With only days left in the regular 2015 legislative session, a new email from United for Care says legislators are seemingly satisfied with running out the clock on comprehensive medical marijuana laws. The legislative session ends on May 1, though there is likely to be a Special Session to hammer out the state budget. ā€œWe had high hopes that our leaders would act…

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Florida for Care walking Capitol halls today for medicinal marijuana

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Florida for Care declared Wednesday a Day of Compassion at the state Capitol. More than 20 supporters of two medicinal marijuana bills fanned out across the Capitol Complex early Wednesday to lobby lawmakers on behalf of HB 683 and SB 528. ā€œThey came from all over the state,ā€ said Kari Hicks of Florida for Care. ā€œThere are people from Tampa, Sarasota, Miami and Jacksonville and have scheduled constituency meetings with their lawmakers.ā€ Hicks said the group is targeting specifically members…

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