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Florida Supreme Court Hears Medical Marijuana Arguments

Prensa 420 via Flickr

The Florida Supreme Court heard arguments Thursday morning about whether the court should keep a proposed constitutional amendment off next year's ballot that would allow medical marijuana in the state. 

Twenty states have legalized medical pot for the treatment of diseases like cancer and Lou Gehrig’s disease. But Attorney General Pam Bondi's office argued that the Florida ballot measure is misleading and could lead to more widespread use. Chief Justice Ricky Polston asked the same question.

"If a student's just stressed over exams, and they go in and see a doctor, and they said, 'I'm really stressed out,' 'Well, I've got something I can help you with,' and prescribes marijuana – wouldn't that be included in this", asked Polston.Most of the state's Republican leaders oppose the move to legalize medical pot, including the Legislature, the Florida Chamber of Commerce, the Florida Medical Association and the Florida Sheriffs Association.

The legalization campaign is led by Democrat John Morgan, an Orlando trial lawyer with close ties to former Governor and current candidate Charlie Crist. Morgan says he was inspired by his father, who used marijuana to control symptoms of cancer.

"People understand, and voters understand, ‘sickness, illness, condition’, they understand that", said Morgan. "So, if you want to start to parse words and make that the end all be all, but I don’t think they’re going to go there."

Polls show the amendment would pass if it got onto the ballot. Last month's Quinnipiac University poll showed that 82% of Floridians support allowing adults to use marijuana for medical reasons with a doctor's prescription.

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