Saturday, 25 October 2014 13:29

GET OUT AND VOTE: JUST SAY KNOW TO CANNABIS!

Written by Hiedi Handford

Florida has a unique opportunity to change thousands of lives this election, if not millions. Many voters simply do not vote in non-presidential elections, a fact made painfully clear with primary turnout in Florida at a mere 17.5 percent, the worst turnout in 16 years.

We need to change that, and we need to change that NOW. November 4th is looming upon us quickly and multitudes of patients lives are at stake. Amendment 2, a Constitutional Amendment providing safe access to medical marijuana in Florida, is at serious risk of losing.

“Why is Amendment 2 so important?” one may ask…”We already have the CBD bill Governor Scott put in place last session.”

The “Charlotte’s Web” Bill is already stalled, with lawsuits ensuing and such strict growing requirements that Florida patients may never see a plant grown, if ever. It is commonly believed this bill was passed to derail Amendment 2 as voters would think Florida already has a medical cannabis law. In addition, CBD only strains of industrial hemp (which is what Charlotte’s Web is classified under a microscope) work only in a very limited number of people. For full benefit and to help a much larger population of people full spectrum cannabis is needed.

Amendment 2 campaign strategists are counting on the youth vote to pass Amendment 2 in November. A frightening strategy as it is well proven the youth vote does not turn out in numbers in non-presidential elections.

Hopefully, the youth vote of Florida will shine ever so brightly and turn out in record numbers. Consider this a challenge to do so. This authors ballot is already submitted.

Multitudes of Floridians still have no knowledge of Irvin Rosenfeld, a Federal Medical Marijuana patient residing in Fort Lauderdale for 28 years and utilizing medical cannabis provided by the Federal Government for 32 years. He is 61 years young, and was supposed to be dead from a serious condition before he turned 20. Until he discovered marijuana helped his bone tumor condition some 42 years ago making him fight for the right to utilize marijuana medicinally, as he did not want to be a criminal.

Rosenfeld is anything but a criminal.

Thanks to medical cannabis, Irvin is a productive member of society. Irvin Rosenfeld is a stockbroker, holding the Senior Vice President of Investments for Newbridge Securities for a number of years. He teaches handicapped children and adults how to sail in Coconut Grove at Shake-a-Leg Miami, and plays softball regularly every Sunday when not out fighting to save peoples lives and pass medical cannabis laws.

“Every Floridian deserves the same right to medical cannabis that I have” states Rosenfeld. “The Federal Government shut down my program in 1982, grandfathered the 13 existing federal patients in, and have claimed there is no medical value for years. They (the Feds) continue to claim there is no medical value, and make criminals out of patients just like me every day, we need to stop that, and we need to stop that now. Look at ME! I’m living proof it works!”

The only other state in the nation with a Constitutional Amendment regarding medical cannabis is Colorado. Colorado patients have the safest access to cannabis as they are protected constitutionally to have the right to save their lives with cannabis, just like Irvin Rosenfeld. The Colorado legislature can regulate cannabis, but they cannot deny access to patients.

Florida patients need and deserve that same protection. Multitudes of patients have moved to Colorado to treat their sick family members. Floridians should not have to move and leave their support systems, families, communities, and loved ones to treat their illnesses. Amendment 2 will ensure they don’t have to.

Many people are worried about marijuana being rampant in the streets and “a joint in every backpack at school”

Well folks, that is actually the situation we have the potential for now. Drug dealers do not check your childs ID, and they most certainly do not conduct their business in a secure area, surrounded by cameras. With a regulated industry, as Amendment 2 will provide, the black market and cartel will be driven from Florida, and children will actually be safer. Reports in Colorado show teen usage is actually decreasing with regulation and compliance checks for dispensaries are at 100% compliance. Regulation makes access for children much harder and streets safer.

Please Florida voters, especially the youth, Vote Yes on Amendment 2! We may never have this opportunity again. Get out there and VOTE Youth of Florida! Prove the opposition wrong. YOUR VOTE really can make a HUGE difference in a person’s life.

Please meet Irvin here: www.mymedicinethebook.com

Epileptic Children need your support: http://time.com/pot-kids/

Learn more: http://bit.ly/JustSayKnow

Author: Hiedi Handford

Just Say Know to Cannabis

Last modified on Thursday, 05 March 2015 09:48
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