Caribbean National Weekly

Florida Supreme Court signs off on medical marijuana proposal

By CNW Reporter··1 min read
Florida Supreme Court signs off on medical marijuana proposal
Key Points(4)
  • <span style="font-weight: 400;">A measure to legalize medical marijuana in the sunshine state will return to the ballot for next year’s presidential elections in November, following a recent ruling for the state supreme court.
  • </span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">To pass, the measure will need at least 683,000 validated petitions, according to medical marijuana advocacy group, United With Care.
  • </span>As of Thursday, the group needed to collect around 274,000 more signatures, according to the Florida Division of Elections.
  • If approved, medical marijuana could become a big industry in Florida, with experts estimating a $785 million market value.
A measure to legalize medical marijuana in the sunshine state will return to the ballot for next year’s presidential elections in November, following a recent ruling for the state supreme court. To pass, the measure will need at least 683,000 validated petitions, according to medical marijuana advocacy group, United With Care. As of Thursday, the group needed to collect around 274,000 more signatures, according to the Florida Division of Elections. If approved, medical marijuana could become a big industry in Florida, with experts estimating a $785 million market value.

Medical pot would only be allowed for use for those with “debilitating” medical conditions which would include cancer, epilepsy, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, and for other conditions which a physician feels using medical marijuana would outweigh the potential health risks for a patient.

Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia allow marijuana use for those suffering from a range of ailments, from HIV to glaucoma and cancer to epilepsy.

Opponents of the measure saw drawbacks could include the backdoor legalization of recreational marijuana in the state.

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