Amendment 2 Forum: Is Medical Marijuana Legalization Good For Florida?
Max Jackson | Photo Editor
On Wednesday evening, Oct. 8, over 150 people gathered in the Live Oak Pavilion on FAU’s Boca Raton campus for the Amendment 2 Forum: Is Medical Marijuana Legalization Good For Florida, hosted by the political science department. The crowd consisted of students, faculty, activists and people who wanted to learn more about Amendment 2 and medical marijuana in Florida. The forum was moderated by Dr. DeRosa of the political science department, and featured a debate between Ben Pollara (United for Care’s campaign manager) and Dr. Jessica Spencer (statewide coalition director for Vote No On Amendment 2). After the debate, Libertarian candidate for attorney general Bill Wohlsifer spoke and answered questions from the crowd.
Max Jackson | Photo Editor
Ben Pollara, the campaign manager for United for Care, spoke on the pro-Amendment 2 side of the debate on Oct. 8. United for Care is the main pro-Amendment 2 group in Florida, focusing on spreading awareness about the benefits of medical marijuana. He mentioned David Tilbury as one of the patients whose life would not be the same without access to medical cannabis. Pollara spoke about the impact of Amendment 2, which would allow doctors in Florida to recommend the use of medical marijuana to patients with debilitating diseases and medical conditions. Pollara and his team have been driving their campaign bus around the state of Florida to spread the message about Amendment 2 and to mobilize voters for the upcoming election. He debated with the anti-Amendment 2 speaker, Dr. Jessica Spencer, about the helpfulness of medical marijuana and also answered questions from the audience.
Max Jackson | Photo Editor
Dr. Jessica Spencer, an anti-Amendment 2 speaker, spoke about how she believed the passage of Amendment 2 would protect drug dealers and endanger children. She also spoke of “pot shops” being opened on every corner without regulation because Amendment 2 does not specify how or where medical marijuana may be sold. She believes that marijuana has medical properties, but that they need to be explored by pharmaceutical companies because “we don’t smoke our medicine.” During the Q&A portion of the forum, Dr. Spencer received the most questions from the crowd. The comments ranged from students asking about the death tolls from insulin and opiates to a Parkinson’s patient describing her time in Colorado where she was able to “feel normal again” after testing out Colorado’s legal marijuana.
Max Jackson | Photo Editor
Suffering through over a dozen surgeries due to dwarfism, 43-year-old David Tilbury said that medical cannabis helps with his chronic back and hip pain. He is a parent and husband and believes that he would not be either of those things without medical cannabis.
Max Jackson | Photo Editor
Beth Ann Krug was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2009, and has been an advocate for Parkinsons since then. She said that one of her concerns with Amendment 2 is how it would affect people who have already been incarcerated for the buying or selling of marijuana. “There’s been a time where I had to choose between going to the grocery store and picking up my medication — one of which, over the counter, is $888 a month,” she said. Krug spoke of her time in Colorado this summer, stating, “While I was there I tried it, it was called Trinity. It took away my tremors, and for a couple of hours I felt normal again.”
Max Jackson | Photo Editor
Philip Stern, a 23-year-old living with Crohn’s Disease for the past 10 years, attended the Amendment 2 Forum on Oct 8. He asked Dr. Spencer about the death tolls from insulin, opiates and marijuana, and spoke about how his daily life is made better by the medical use of marijuana. The medication he takes now costs $7,000 every month. “THC and CBD are highly effective anti-inflammatories,” he said. Stern stressed that the quality of the product is one of the most important factors in using marijuana as medicine. “There are no quality tests when you buy it on the street,” he added. Smoking marijuana allows Stern to eat and have regular bowel movements, two things that are often difficult for those who have Crohn’s.
Max Jackson | Photo Editor
Dr. Marshall DeRosa, a political science professor at FAU, put on this event along with the Apgar Foundation and James Madison Institute. Dr. DeRosa’s goal with putting on this event was “to heighten FAU’s profile in the community regarding public policy issues important to Floridians.”
Max Jackson | Photo Editor
Bill Wohlsifer was the final speaker of the evening. He is the first Libertarian candidate for attorney general in Florida. Bill is a proponent of Amendment 2, but does not feel that it is an issue that needs to be decided by a constitutional amendment. He also has a plan, Hemp 4 Water, in which he believes that growing hemp in Florida is a “smart and economical environmental solution.” You can find out more about Bill Wohlsifer and his campaign for attorney general at BillW2014.com.
Max is a political science and economics major with the goal of running for Congress in district 22 (Boca Raton). He joined the University Press in 2012...
Sanford Feldt • Jul 27, 2018 at 7:05 am
Hi, I just want to ask if someone has any idea on which marijuana strain would be very effective when it comes with anxiety attacks and sleep disorder?
I’ve been suffering for almost 2 months now and mostly can’t sleep properly at night. I refrain my self on taking meds coz it seems doesn’t work for me. So I started reading some alternative way for my problem and came across this article about northern lights kush strain from https://www.bonzaseeds.com/blog/bubblegum-kush/ and how it could help you relax but the problem is I don’t smoke. But then I also found out that you can also make drinks or tea and even muffin/cake as an option aside from smoking it. Why they can’t just simply make a pill out of marijuana if they say it could really be some help? Or maybe there are that I’m not aware of. If this is true I would gladly want to hear any of your experience and thoughts regarding this. Thanks in advance
Cristina4Jesus • Oct 25, 2014 at 9:28 pm
Vote NO on 2, just a ruse to legalize, the language is the same as the disastrous California law whereby there is no limit on the number of pot shops and the words “other conditions” means anyone gets it. Only in the case of FL, it would be a PERMANENT mess as it is a constitutional amendment, not just statue law. Voters want to help the sick, but only 3% of those in “medical” marijuana states have a serious illness, and the FL legislature already approved 5 statewide dispensaries so there is NO NEED for 2. See this video for more reasons to vote NO on 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pF31iSVLYLM
Magnus Thunderson • Oct 11, 2014 at 6:54 pm
There is one thing the NO on 2 people need to think about if 2 is defeated it will be at least 2 years before it come up again defying the people it can realty help access. and if it pass and if it turn into a pot mill It could be fixed with out a vote thus quickly
[email protected] • Oct 11, 2014 at 3:15 pm
HIP TO BE HEMP LLC..QA/QC systems
Stel-1776 • Oct 11, 2014 at 11:24 am
Medicinal use of cannabis is not new, it has been used as medicine in many cultures for thousands of years. It’s new to our generation because of the political agenda that suppressed and demonized it for the last 70+ years. Cannabis is able to treat such a wide range of disease through its action on the newly discovered (thanks to cannabis) endocannabinoid system and the receptors CB1 and CB2 which are found throughout the body:
“…In the past decade, the endocannabinoid system has been implicated in a growing number of physiological functions, both in the central and peripheral nervous systems and in peripheral organs. More importantly, modulating the activity of the endocannabinoid system turned out to hold therapeutic promise in a wide range of disparate diseases and pathological conditions, ranging from mood and anxiety disorders, movement disorders such as Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease, neuropathic pain, multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury, to cancer, atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, stroke, hypertension, glaucoma, obesity/metabolic syndrome, and osteoporosis, to name just a few…”
Pacher et al. The endocannabinoid system as an emerging target of pharmacotherapy. Pharmacol Rev. 2006.
“this is one of the fastest-growing fields in psychopharmacology”
“the endocannabinoid system may lead to the development of novel therapeutic drugs with higher societal acceptability and lower side effects profiles.”
Pamplona FA, Takahashi RN. Psychopharmacology of the endocannabinoids: far beyond anandamide. J Psychopharmacol. 2012. Review.
“There is now clear evidence that cannabinoids are useful for the treatment of various medical conditions.”
Grotenhermen F, Müller-Vahl K. The therapeutic potential of cannabis and cannabinoids. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2012. Review.
It clearly does not belong in Schedule I, with heroin:
“Based on evidence currently available the Schedule I classification is not tenable; it is not accurate that cannabis has no medical value, or that information on safety is lacking.”
Grant I et al. Medical marijuana: clearing away the smoke. Open Neurol J. 2012.
“Overall, by comparison with other drugs used mainly for ‘recreational’ purposes, cannabis could be rated to be a relatively safe drug.”
Iversen L. Long-term effects of exposure to cannabis. Curr Opin Pharmacol. 2005. Review.
Already 76% of doctors support using cannabis for medicinal purposes:
“with 76% of all votes in favor of the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes — even though marijuana use is illegal in most countries…In sum, the majority of clinicians would recommend the use of medicinal marijuana in certain circumstances”
Adler and Colbert. Medicinal Use of Marijuana — Polling Results. New England Journal of Medicine. 2013.
This number will continue to rise as more doctors, like surgeon general candidate Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a neurosurgeon, realize they have been “systematically mislead” for decades in regard to cannabis. It is absolutely absurd that doctors can prescribe morphine (essentially heroin) but not cannabis, a substance objectively safer than alcohol.
“I apologize because I didn’t look hard enough, until now. I didn’t look far enough. I didn’t review papers from smaller labs in other countries doing some remarkable research, and I was too dismissive of the loud chorus of legitimate patients whose symptoms improved on cannabis.” – Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Neurosurgeon, Surgeon General candidate, Assistant Professor of neurosurgery, CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent
“And it’s just not rational that adults don’t have the choice of using marijuana, but they do for alcohol. Marijuana is less likely to be addictive, it’s less likely to cause car accidents and birth defects, it’s less likely to cause domestic violence. So how do you rationally say that it’s OK to drink alcohol with that profile but it’s not OK to occasionally use marijuana?” – Dr. Richard Besser, former director of the CDC, ABC’s Chief Health and Medical Editor
“Cannabis is a safer drug than aspirin and can be used long-term without serious side effects. It is never possible for a scientist to say that anything is totally safe. But, at the end of the day, scaremongering does science – and the public – a great disservice. Cannabis is simply not as dangerous as it is being made out to be.”
-Professor Les Iversen, chairman, British Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, 2003.
The entire plant must be legalized for medicinal use. It has been found that cannabinoids act synergistically and are more effective together, even more effective than any additive effect. For example, this study found that THC and CBD work together in fighting brain cancer:
“In the U251 and SF126 glioblastoma cell lines, Delta(9)-THC and cannabidiol acted synergistically to inhibit cell proliferation”
Marcu et al. Cannabidiol enhances the inhibitory effects of delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol on human glioblastoma cell proliferation and survival. Mol Cancer Ther. 2010.
There are many varieties of cannabis, each with their own assortments of cannabinoids and beneficial effects. Patients do not have time to wait for these natural varieties to be approved one at a time by the federal government, a complex bureaucracy that has even delayed approving a single, non-psychoactive (does not cause a ‘high’) cannabinoid, CBD, for decades and continues to do so. It is a travesty that the entire plant has not already been legalized. Let doctors decide which medicines are best for their patients, not politicians! Legalize this proven medicine now, before more citizens needlessly suffer.
MPP – The Marijuana Policy Project – http://www.mpp.org/
DPA – Drug Policy Alliance – http://www.drugpolicy.org/
NORML – National Organization to Reform Marijuana Laws – http://norml.org/
LEAP – Law Enforcement Against Prohibition – http://www.leap.cc/
knowa1 • Oct 11, 2014 at 6:35 am
Every body don’t miss this historical vote JUST SHOW UP AND VOTE YES ON 2
wm97 • Oct 10, 2014 at 11:58 pm
Marijuana was outlawed for two major reasons. The first was because “All Mexicans are crazy and marijuana is what makes them crazy. The second was the fear that heroin addiction would lead to the use of marijuana – exactly the opposite of the modern “gateway” nonsense.
Only one MD testified at the hearings for the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937. The representative of the American Medical Association said there was no evidence that marijuana was a dangerous drug and no reason for the law. He pointed out that it was used in hundreds of common medicines at the time, with no significant problems. In response, the committee told him that, if he wasn’t going to cooperate, he should shut up and leave.
The only other “expert” to testify was James C. Munch, a psychologist. His sole claim to fame was that he had injected marijuana directly into the brains of 300 dogs and two of them died. When they asked him what he concluded from this, he said he didn’t know what to conclude because he wasn’t a dog psychologist. Mr. Munch also testified in court, under oath, that marijuana could make your fangs grow six inches long and drip with blood. He also said that, when he tried it, it turned him into a bat. He then described how he flew around the room for two hours.
Mr. Munch was the only “expert” in the US who thought marijuana should be illegal, so they appointed him US Official Expert on marijuana, where he served and guided policy for 25 years.
If you read the transcripts of the hearings, one question is asked more than any other: “What is this stuff?” It is quite apparent that Congress didn’t even know what they were voting on. The law was shoved through by a small group of lunatics with no real awareness by anyone else of what was happening.
See http://druglibrary.org/schaffer/History/whiteb1.htm for an entertaining short history of the marijuana laws.
See http://druglibrary.org/schaffer/hemp/taxact/taxact.htm for the complete transcripts of the hearings for the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937.
Magnus Thunderson • Oct 11, 2014 at 6:45 pm
Marijuana was made illegal for one reason Hemp was a fast growing threat to the pesticide industry as cotton Pesticides were a multi million dollar business back in 1937 and hemp required none so Monsanto funded refer madness and when they did not work as the People laughed at the movie they bought off some political persons who very quietly put it in the middle of farm bill
wm97 • Oct 11, 2014 at 10:18 pm
Monsanto? No, you mean DuPont, and there is no evidence of that. Furthermore, hemp was not “a fast growing threat” to anything. Hemp was such a rapidly fading crop that even the farmers who were growing it did not protest when it was outlawed because they weren’t making any money on it, anyway. When the law was passed in 1937, the hemp crop from 1934-35 was still sitting in the warehouses unsold because there weren’t any buyers.
The government documents behind that story are included at the links I provided, if you had bothered to actually look. Google “Was there really an industrialist conspiracy to outlaw hemp?”
Magnus Thunderson • Oct 11, 2014 at 10:48 pm
yep Dupont Hemp makes paper cloth that more durable and softer then cotton and can even be made into Plastic and building materials and even biofuel so very smart to legalize hemp crops now. also in the mid 1930s had an economic slump with a lot of raw goods sat in warehouses
wm97 • Oct 11, 2014 at 11:57 pm
Yeah, that story was written by a friend of mine, Jack Herer (RIP). We did many presentations together back when the polls were showing only about 25 percent in favor of legalization. The story comes from his book, The Emperor Wears No Clothes.
It is an interesting story, but there isn’t a shred of actual documentation to support it. Moreover, hemp is not a competitor to cotton or synthetic fabrics. Furthermore, DuPont made most of their money from explosives, not fabrics.
And — if you had bothered to read the references (which you obviously didn’t), you would have seen that the crop sat in the warehouses not because of the Depression, but simply because there weren’t any processing plants to buy it.
Neither does that theory explain why cannabis was already illegal in 30 states before Anslinger (the center of the supposed conspiracy) came to the FBN.
Once again, you would do better if you read the actual documents. Try reading. It can’t hurt, really.
wm97 • Oct 10, 2014 at 11:58 pm
The question of what to do about drugs is not a new one. Over the last 100 years there have been numerous major government commissions around the world that have studied the drug laws and made recommendations for changes. You can find the full text of all of them at http://druglibrary.org/schaffer under Major Studies of Drugs and Drug Policy.
They all reached remarkably similar conclusions, no matter who did them, or where, or when, or why. They all agreed that the current laws were based on ignorance and nonsense, and that the current policy does more harm than good, no matter what you assume about the dangers of drugs. You don’t have to take my word for that. Read them yourself.
If you are new to the collection, start with Licit and Illicit Drugs at http://druglibrary.org/schaffer/Library/studies/cu/cumenu.htm That is the best overall review of the drug problem ever written. If you only read one book on the subject, make it that one. It will give you a good summary of what you would learn if you read all the other major reports.
In 1973, President Nixon’s US National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse completed the largest study of the drug laws ever done. At the end of their study, they said the real drug problem was not marijuana, or heroin, or cocaine. The real drug problem, they said, was the ignorance of our public officials who keep spouting off with solutions but have never read the most basic research on the subject.
In a perfect illustration of their point, Nixon refused to read his own commission’s report. The full text can be found at http://druglibrary.org/schaffer/Library/studies/nc/ncmenu.htm
Cristina4Jesus • Oct 10, 2014 at 11:02 pm
Vote NO on 2, just a ruse to legalize as seen in other states. Here is a video that shows why:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pF31iSVLYLM
wm97 • Oct 11, 2014 at 12:04 am
Yes, this is a good example of the level of the No on 2 people. I have provided links to the full text of the most comprehensive government commission reports ever done on the subject. I recommend that you read them yourself, so you don’t have to take my word for what they say.
For the antis, a crude cartoon, with nothing to back it up, is the best they can do. Don’t expect any real rational analysis from them.
Guest • Oct 11, 2014 at 11:22 am
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Stel-1776 • Oct 11, 2014 at 11:23 am
We shouldn’t deny medical treatment to people because some use that substance recreationally. Recreational users will get cannabis regardless. It is better they buy product that has been professionally produced with quality controls from licensed establishments rather than support a crime-ridden underground market that would not hesitate to sell hard drugs..
Fallibilist • Oct 12, 2014 at 10:31 pm
It’s pretty clear that whoever made this cartoon was high when they wrote it.
What does this have to do with patients who have cancer, epilepsy, Lou Gehrig’s disease, MS, Crohn’s disease, Parkinson’s? We’re fighting for patients to have access to medicine.
Cristina4Jesus, why are you high on marijuana all the time? It might be time for you to cut back.