While other states have laid out the foundation for medical marijuana in their states, Florida seems to be tightening its control of medical Marijuana based on tighter rules and regulations in terms of how people can obtain the drug, and how it is dispensed throughout the state.
Irrational thinking
While more than 70 percent of Floridians voted for Amendment 2, the Health Department seems to be making it harder and more difficult for patients to access cannabis rather than the alternative of pain killers. Cancer patients often spend more on pain killers than other people due to the radiation and chemotherapy.
By providing a cheaper and cost-effective treatment such as cannabis in Florida, it should mean it can be easy to buy like a monthly prescription of pain killers. "It's like two steps forward and one step back," said Dani Hall to Tampa Bay Times. Dani Hall has two sons who have been diagnosed with autism and hopes that the passing of Amendment 2 can help them with the symptoms of rage, anxiety, and depression associated with the disease. Mrs. Hall thought that the medical marijuana could help with their autism along with therapy. Mrs. Hall knows about parents moving out of state, and even smuggling in cannabis to help their children and loved ones affected by debilitating disease.
Proposed regulations
So far there are three options in which the Health Department wants to regulate cannabis in Florida:
- Option 1: Modify a form of medical marijuana -- limiting the number of growers in the state to only seven registered to grow cannabis.
- Option 2: Limit distribution -- only a select few who have debilitating conditions such as terminal cancer, ALS, etc.
- Option 3: Language of some proposals to prescribe cannabis -- the written language is in a bit of a grey area in terms of legality.
Ironically, all three of these options are easy to fix, but the Florida Health Department is still concerned about addiction and abuse. It is just a matter of time, and public opinion could help in this regard.
