Fla. Rep Wants To Legalize Medical Marijuana

[bobandtorey]

By Holly Bristow

FOX 35 News

 

LAKE MARY, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - State Representative Jeff Clemens, a Democrat from Lake Worth, would like Floridians to decide whether the Sunshine State should legalize marijuana for medical purposes.

 

"The government shouldn't be heavily regulating and banning a natural plant when they allow people to use synthetic and heavy narcotics," said Rep. Clemens.

 

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He's referring to heavily controlled prescription painkillers.

 

"One, I think people should have a their say and vote on it. Two, I think it's safer than oxycodone. We prescribe 80 percent of the oxy in the USA in Florida and seven people a day die from oh overdosing prescription drugs and to my knowledge no one has ever died from using medicinal cannabis," said Rep. Clemens.

 

John Stemberger runs Florida's Family Policy Council, which concentrates on issues affecting families and children. He thinks legalizing medical marijuana is Florida is an awful idea.

 

"The real problem is, this sets a bad example for teens and there is enormous abuse. Just look at California. There is tremendous fraud with this you can buy medical marijuana on line with a credit car and with all the problems we have here with all the pain killer fraud we have here, its unnecessary," said Stemberger.

 

Rep. Clemens disagrees saying he wants to help people with debilitating diseases and patients going through chemotherapy, without developing addictions.

 

Stemberger says he feels for those in severe pain, but, "I think certainly it's silly to claim marijuana is not addictive. It's certainly a gateway drug to other harsh drugs and statistics bear that out. The other question is how do we know what's debilitating."

 

Rep. Clemens says legalizing medical marijuana could bring some money into the state. In California it brings in roughly $12 million a year in tax revenue. It brings in roughly $3 million in Colorado.

 

 

 

 

 

i guess they dont know about how much money the card cost the people like here theirs 5 mill $ the state of Mich has of ares

 

 

http://www.myfoxorlando.com/dpp/health/031011-rep-wants-to-legalize-medical-marijuana