Last October, Robert Wexler retired from his duties as a US Representative from Florida’s 19th Congressional District. After a special primary in January, a special election is scheduled for April 13th. According to media reports out of Florida, all three candidates (Democrat, Independent, and even the Republican) all said they would support medical marijuana in Florida (click here).
Here is a quote from each candidate:
“It’s called medical marijuana. I don’t have a problem with it,” said the Republican candidate Ed Lynch.
“I would say if it can help eliminate the pain, why aren’t we doing it? It’s not hurting anyone. It’s medical marijuana,” said Independent candidate Jim McCormick.
The candidate for the Democrats, Ted Deutch, said “Medical marijuana, if it helps to reduce suffering, absolutely is something that we ought to consider.”
People can take these quotes with a grain of salt of course. I have heard politicians say anything just to get votes. But it’s not every day that federal level candidates will go on record and say that they would support medical marijuana. It’s encouragement to keep up the momentum in Florida. Although the signature drive for a medical marijuana initiative did not meet the February 1st deadline, people are still hitting the pavement for signatures for the 2012 ballot. All signatures gathered are valid for four years, so don’t worry if you have already provided your signature, it is still valid even thought the deadline for 2010 has passed.
If you want to provide your signature, or even better, get involved, here are some great places to get started:
People United for Medical Marijuana — Florida (click here)
Americans for Safe Access — Florida (click here)
Marijuana Policy Project — Florida (click here)
The National Organizaiton for the Reform of Marijuana Laws — Florida (click here)
