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marijuana legalization

Political Committee Forms to Oppose 2020 Marijuana Legalization Ballot Initiative

November 24, 2019 | FlaglerLive | 15 Comments

smokable marijuana

Organizers of Floridians Against Recreational Marijuana, or FARM, issued a news release Friday announcing the formation of the political committee, aimed at combating “the mega-marijuana, out-of-state corporate interests” behind legalization.

Legalizing Recreational Pot Key Issue For Florida Democrats’ Gubernatorial Candidates

June 3, 2018 | FlaglerLive | 17 Comments

recreational marijuana florida elections

John Morgan calls recreational weed a make-or-break issue for Democratic candidates seeking to replace outgoing Republican Gov. Rick Scott.

Anger Over Legislature’s Failures on Medical Pot Prompts Talk of Special Session

May 12, 2017 | FlaglerLive | 1 Comment

medical pot dispensary

House and Senate leaders, falling short of implementing the voter-approved amendment, were unable to reach agreement on how many retail outlets medical pot operators should be able to run.

Flagler County Approves 6-Month Moratorium on Medical Pot Dispensaries or Facilities

December 5, 2016 | FlaglerLive | 14 Comments

flagler medical marijuana moratorium

Flagler County commissioners said the moratorium is not intended to counter the constitutional amendment legalizing medical pot, but to give the county time to figure out what zoning and other regulations may be in place with legalization.

Florida Push to Legalize Medical Marijuana Gets $1 Million Boost, Aiding Amendment 2 Vote

October 2, 2016 | FlaglerLive | 3 Comments

medical marijuana florida

It’s the largest single contribution received by supporters of Amendment 2 and comes as the battle over the constitutional question heats up in advance of the Nov. 8 election.

In Latest Delay, Flagler’s Civil Citation Proposal for Pot Users Will Wait Until Late November

September 14, 2016 | FlaglerLive | 9 Comments

civil citation program

Though recommended for approval in Flagler County by a key law enforcement, judicial and government panel, the de-criminalization proposal and judicial panel, the proposal will wait until after the election because of expected changes at the county commission and on the Palm Coast City Council.

Flagler Judge Gives Pot Plan a Lift, But Council And Whiff of Politics Again Delay Adoption

July 14, 2016 | FlaglerLive | 9 Comments

public safety coordinating council

The proposal would reduce the penalty for first-time possession of pot to a $250 fine rather than a criminal charge, but it’ll be at least another month before the proposal gets out of a council, if then, and heads for approval (or rejection) by local governments.

Flagler’s Pot De-Criminalization Proposal Wilts, But Narrower Version Still Possible

May 17, 2016 | FlaglerLive | 20 Comments

pot decriminalization

A work group meeting Tuesday to craft an ordinance raised more questions and objections than showed agreement, though the proposal is still moving forward in a much narrower version, and has many hurdles yet to cross.

Opponents of Medical Pot Legalization Awaken from Slumber With Warning Video

May 16, 2016 | FlaglerLive | 1 Comment

medical pot dispensary

The video, posted online by the “Vote No on 2 Campaign” alleges the measure would lead to a plethora of “pot shops” similar to the marijuana industry in California.

Flagler Takes 1st Step To Pot Decriminalization With Broad Agreement on Principle, Less So on Details

May 11, 2016 | FlaglerLive | 6 Comments

bertha henry broward county administrator

All of Flagler’s major law enforcement and government agencies agree that marijuana decriminalization for first-time offenders is a good idea. The county next will develop an ordinance all can agree on. That step may be more difficult.

Florida’s Tortured Medical Pot Law Regulating Nurseries Keeps Drawing New Legal Challenges

May 9, 2016 | FlaglerLive | Leave a Comment

florida pot dispensaries

The state has spent nearly $500,000 on private lawyers to represent the Department of Health in legal challenges that have delayed implementation of a 2014 law that first opened the door for medical marijuana in Florida.

Gateway Drug Bunk: No, Smoking Pot Doesn’t Lead to Harder Drugs

April 8, 2016 | FlaglerLive | 30 Comments

gateway drugs

Smoke pot and be merry. Cops’ and politicians’ claims that pot is a gateway drug is baseless fear-mongering intended to stop the legalization of marijuana. But it’s time to dispense with the lie once and for all.

As Judge Calls Pot Laws “Harsh,” Sheriff and Public Defender Will Propose De-Criminalization Ordinance

February 15, 2016 | FlaglerLive | 10 Comments

pot possession jim purdy public defender

Flagler Sheriff Jim Manfre and Public Defender Jim Purdy will craft a proposal to de-criminalize pot and move to a civil citation program. The proposal will first be vetted by the Public Safety Coordinating Council before heading for the county commission.

Thanks to Elderly, Florida Medical Marijuana Market Could Be a $1.5 Billion Industry By 2020

February 13, 2016 | FlaglerLive | 1 Comment

medical marijuana industry florida

Florida is one of four states best positioned to legalize medical marijuana, with the state’s older population playing a large role in the industry’s viability.

23 lb. and a Gun: 2nd Pot House in Three Years Is Busted on Palm Coast’s Wheatfield Drive

November 11, 2015 | FlaglerLive | 30 Comments

wheatfield drive pot

Ex-FPC football player Daniel Epler, 21, was arrested after 23 pounds of pot, $9,000 in cash and a Cobra handgun were found in his bedroom at a duplex on Wheatfield Drive in Palm Coast.

Cashing In on Pot: How Business Is Getting High on Marijuana’s Potential

August 24, 2015 | FlaglerLive | 4 Comments

The industry totaled $2.66 billion in U.S. sales in 2014, up 74 percent from $1.53 billion the year before, with expectations that the market will expand exponentially as more states legalize marijuana for both medical and recreational use.

Stupid Pot Busts

June 5, 2015 | FlaglerLive | 70 Comments

judge j david walsh sentencing pot

The conviction for pot smoking of a Palm Coast resident who’d never had so much as a traffic ticket illustrates the sickness of a police and judicial system’s wrongheaded marijuana fixation.

Light Up Again: John Morgan Files Medical Pot Amendment Language For 2016 Ballot

January 11, 2015 | FlaglerLive | 8 Comments

The revamped measure clarifies that doctors cannot order medical marijuana for children without their parents’ approval and clears up ambiguity about what diseases would make patients eligible for medical-marijuana treatment.

Florida’s Pot Legalization Forces Open 2-Front Offensive: Legislature and 2016 Ballot

November 29, 2014 | FlaglerLive | 7 Comments

After falling just 2 points short of victory in November, medical-marijuana advocates will take their battle to the Florida Legislature, and failing that, will place the initiative on the ballot again in 2016.

Sheldon Adelson Adds $1 Million to Fight Against Medical Pot Legalization

October 28, 2014 | FlaglerLive | 16 Comments

Sheldon Adelson had contributed $5 million of the $5,842,897 raised by the “Drug Free Florida Committee” as of Sunday. The committee also spent $1,254,013 in mid-October and reported an overall spending total of $5,582,772.

Pot Amendment: For Debilitating Diseases or an Open Door to Full Marijuana Legalization?

October 13, 2014 | FlaglerLive | 13 Comments

A briefing on Amendment 2, the proposed constitutional amendment to legalize medical marijuana: supporters say it’ll help the sick, opponents claim it’s flawed and will result in “a joint in every backpack.”

I’m 67 Years Old. I Smoke Pot. And It’s Time to Make It Legal, Period.

October 9, 2014 | FlaglerLive | 27 Comments

If anyone thinks that passing Amendment 2 is not a step toward legalizing recreational marijuana, then you’re been ingesting too much of the wrong kind of drugs, argues Thomas O’Hara, who is voting for Amendment 2 because it’s a step toward full marijuana legalization.

One More Time: What Opponents of Amendment 2 on Medical Pot Get Wrong

October 5, 2014 | FlaglerLive | 19 Comments

Opponents of Amendment 2, the proposal to legalize medical marijuana in Florida, have been spreading false information, exaggerations and scare-mongering. Ben Pollara, the campaign manager for United for Care, which is pushing the amendment, counters those arguments.

Meet Tim Morgan, the Man Behind John Morgan’s Push for Medical Marijuana

September 24, 2014 | FlaglerLive | 21 Comments

Tim Morgan, left, and the author, Gary Stein. (Gary Stein)

Tim Morgan, John Morgan’s younger brother, suffered a severe spinal cord injury as a lifeguard while trying to save someone, and suffered excruciating pain. Marijuana helped him. His brother has devoted himself to legalizing pot for others with medical needs.

For or Against Medical Marijuana, Seven Ex-Supreme Court Justices Explain Why They Oppose Amendment 2

September 14, 2014 | FlaglerLive | 21 Comments

Amendment 2, promoted as a compassionate effort to legalize marijuana for medical purposes, should be rejected – regardless of one’s position on the issue of medical marijuana, seven ex-Florida Supreme Court justices argue.

Bowing to Criticism, Florida Health Regulators Agree to Delay Legal Pot Distribution Rule

September 7, 2014 | FlaglerLive | 2 Comments

Health regulators will almost certainly delay a rule that will eventually create the framework for the state’s new medical marijuana industry after an outcry from a legislative panel saying the proposed regulation went too far.

Legislative Panel Joins Critics of Strict Proposals to Limit Legal Pot Access in Florida

September 4, 2014 | FlaglerLive | Leave a Comment

A 19-page letter from the Joint Administrative Procedures Committee to the Department of Health’s general counsel questions nearly every aspect of the proposed rule, beginning with who would be allowed to apply for one of five licenses to grow, manufacture and distribute a type of cannabis approved during this year’s legislative session.

Lessons for Florida from A California Pot Tourist

August 18, 2014 | FlaglerLive | 7 Comments

That's all it takes? (Rachel Patterson)

If Florida’s voters approve Amendment 2, our state will have an opportunity to implement a marijuana law that avoids heading down California’s cynical path, argues Karen Cyphers. It will be a challenge, but the reward of fostering an honest, quality health-care system is well worth the effort.

Briefing : Amendment 2, Medical Marijuana Legalization

July 30, 2014 | FlaglerLive | Leave a Comment

The Florida Right to Medical Marijuana Initiative, known as Amendment 2, is on the November 4, 2014 ballot in Florida. The measure would legalize medical marijuana through an amendment to the state Constitution. Here’s a briefing, including the ballot summary and the full text of the amendment.

Floridians Support Legalization of Medical Marijuana By 9-1 Margin, Sustaining High

July 28, 2014 | FlaglerLive | 6 Comments

The latest Quinnipiac University poll–the most authoritative poll on the matter–finds 88 percent of Floridians favoring medical marijuana, with 10 percent opposed, including 83 percent support from voters 65 and older and 95 percent support from voters 18 to 29 years old.

Regulators Draw Sharp Criticism Over Controls On Florida’s New Pot Industry

July 7, 2014 | FlaglerLive | 6 Comments

medical marijuana in florida

At the top of the complaint list: concerns about a proposed lottery system to award five organizations the chance to grow, manufacture and dispense a type of medical marijuana approved by Florida’s Republican-dominated Legislature this spring.

Jitter Echo: Opponents of Amendment 2 Launch “Don’t Let Florida Go to Pot” Campaign

June 10, 2014 | FlaglerLive | 12 Comments

A detail from one of the posters for "Reefer Madness," the 1936 American propaganda film that attempted to link marijuana to degeneracy. (Wikimedia Commons)

Opponents of a proposed constitutional amendment that would legalize medical marijuana launched the “Don’t Let Florida Go to Pot” campaign Tuesday, warning that passing the measure would lead to widespread abuse. Proponents of the measure are discrediting the campaign.

Palm Coast Council Looks to Regulate Potential Medical Pot, But in a Cloud of Misinformation

June 10, 2014 | FlaglerLive | 25 Comments

palm coast medical marijuana pot dispensaries

Saying he wants to be “pro-active,” Palm Coast Mayor Jon Netts wants to explore regulations of potential medical pot dispensaries, should medical marijuana be legalized by Amendment 2, similar to those Palm Coast imposed on pill mills and intenet cafes. But those regulations will be primarily in the Department of Health’s hands, possibly pre-empting cities from such regulatory powers.

Sheriff Manfre on Medical Marijuana: “I Am Receptive to the Arguments Favoring the Amendment’s Passage”

May 9, 2014 | FlaglerLive | 15 Comments

“For me,” Flagler County Sheriff Jim Manfre writes, “it comes down to whether medical marijuana has a medically beneficial effect and if it could help my Mom or any of our loved ones from the debilitating side effects of radiation treatments or the other diseases it claims to affect.”

Support for Medical Marijuana Surges to 88% in Florida, Stoking Prospects for Amendment 2

May 5, 2014 | FlaglerLive | 7 Comments

An image from the Facebook page of People United For Medical Marijuana, the group advocating for medical pot legalization in Florida.

The prospects for Amendment 2 don’t stop with pot. The Amendment is expected to draw out voters who support it. The turnout may influence the outcome of the governor’s race pitting incumbent Rick Scott against former Gov. Charlie Crist, whose boss, John Morgan, is leading the battle to legalize medical marijuana.

Rocky Mountain High or Reefer Madness? Legal Pot Comes with Risks

April 13, 2014 | FlaglerLive | 12 Comments

Legal pot is attracting new and possibly naïve users — creating risks that some don’t bargain for. Second, the public health system’s desire to protect people may be well-intentioned, but regulation and efforts to track the health effects have a ways to go.

Busy Tallahassee as Red-Light Camera Ban, Pension Phase-Out and Pot Phase-In Animate Lawmakers

February 15, 2014 | FlaglerLive | 2 Comments

Lawmakers seemed to be drawing closer this week to giving a green light to a limited form of medical marijuana, while some of them complained that red-light cameras were spreading across the state like weeds.

Marijuana Legalization: A Dissent

January 11, 2014 | FlaglerLive | 36 Comments

We can all recite the arguments for legalization of marijuana. But making marijuana available to anyone over the age of 21 seems to me to be a sad statement of societal surrender, rather than an uplifting event, argues Steve Robinson.

Pam Bondi’s Pot Problem

December 6, 2013 | Pierre Tristam | 58 Comments

pam bondi pot problem amendment medical marijuana florida

It’s a matter of time before marijuana is legalized, for medical uses or not, even in Florida. But Attorney General Pam Bondi is doing her best to preserve a prohibition that relies on disinformation to benefit cops and jails at the expense of greater safety, less crime and more compassion, were marijuana to be legalized.

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