Posted on 07/20/2023 12:06:32 PM PDT by Jacquerie
Recreational marijuana supporters today urged the Florida Supreme Court to approve the ballot language of a citizen-led effort to legalize recreational marijuana in the state. Libertarian policy group Cato Institute, a Washington-based think-tank, filed a friend-of-the-court brief Wednesday in support of the measure. A separate brief was also filed by the Medical Marijuana Business Association of Florida. The association is closely linked to Smart & Safe Florida, a political committee sponsoring the marijuana legalization initiative.
Both of the newly filed briefs took issue with Attorney General Ashley Moody’s previously filed opinion that the ballot initiative should be thrown off the ballot for a variety of reasons, including that it misleads voters about the regulatory environment that will exist if the measure passes.
Moody argued that the summary of the proposed amendment is misleading, failing to clarify the potential regulatory gap for recreational marijuana. That lack of regulation, according to the Attorney General, could lead to the uncontrolled sale and misuse of marijuana. To support her argument, Moody claimed that establishing comprehensive rules for regulating recreational marijuana could take years, leaving a period of potential unregulated use.
Meanwhile, Attorney General Moody has opposed the move, contending that the ballot question confuses voters and fails to sufficiently clarify the distinction between federal and state laws concerning marijuana use. It’s important to note that while the proposed amendment would legalize marijuana in Florida, federal law still considers the drug illegal.
The Florida Supreme Court is expected to schedule and hear oral arguments by all parties prior to issuing a final ruling.
(Excerpt) Read more at thecapitolist.com ...
Nonetheless, if the FL supremes allow it to appear on the ballot, it will pass.
The last think Florida needs is legal wake and bake
IIRC, legalized guns in other states is causing major problems, not the least of which is an explosion of gang shootings.
Shall we ban guns, too?
Two things:
1) MJ is bad news and causes psychosis I don’t care how much the users deny it.
2) The federal government has no constitutional authority to regulate or enforce individual drug use at all. The “War on Drugs” is unconstitutional and, therefore, illegal, is a complete failure, and does more harm than good.
Drugs is a state’s and individual’s issue.
Legal weed is the bane of Oklahoma. Now we've got libertarian trash everywhere. We've got scumbag bums living in the streets and under the overpasses and beggars at every corner.
And the consequent ER visits, highway fatalities and crime. Weed does not confine itself to weed. We've also had a surge of hard drug use since meth addicts know they'll find their drug of choice among pot smokers.
Yeah, Floriduh. It'll be a prudent move to legalize that crap. /s
IIRC, legalized guns in other states is causing major problems, not the least of which is an explosion of gang shootings.
Wrong, liberal !
the most shootings are in the areas with the greatest gun control, and always has been.
(these dopers will justify anything to allow weed)
Take another toke.
Thanks for the perspective.
I guarantee the average Floridian at the polls won’t know a thing about the downsides of legal weed.
Direct democracy stinks.
True that. I've never toted nor even put it to my lips (but did not inhale, typed in my best Slick Willy voice). So it's no skin off my back either way. But I'm glad to see it a state argument instead of a federal argument.
I do wish, however, libertarians would be at least as loud about other real world libertarian issues as they are pot. In fact, in many ways I disagree with them and question how they call themselves pro-liberty. For example, many of them supporting carbon taxes saying it's libertarian. It's insane to think that less government intervention in our lives comes from government having yet another way to punish/tax our activities.
Actually that’s not true. The states with less restrictive gun laws have more fun violence per Capita.
Yeah, if you separate by state. If you separate it by city or county, he is correct. Of course, there is a more influential demographic factor that indicates gun violence at both the state and municipal level.
ffffffffffffffffft Dooooood. What?
I’m glad these clowns have their priorities.
I consider myself generally “libertarian” and limited government, but I can’t understand the the activist libertarian-types obsession with legalizing drugs.
It probably because Libertarians and the right in general always lose on all the big, important issues such as: government mass censorship and the bloated US security-state, government-funded woke propaganda, Federal Reserve printed money, massive government debt, forever wars abroad, etc...
Pushing more drugs on an already corrupted and permissive American society makes them feel like they can win on “something.”
Include also memory issues, slowed reaction time, and weakened immune system.
Lots of fine folks use it but we need to be honest about it's longer term effects.
And, in kids, it slows brain development.
Chronic pain patients, as much as necessary.
That’s the problem with “medical marijuana”
legitimate painkillers have specific maximum dose per day.
The “dose” with “medical marijuana” is toke up until yhou feel GOOD !
Here in Oklahoma we’re even seeing reports of children experiencing significant psychological effects from marijuana. It’s becoming a recognizable phenomenon. It’s like our stupid state politicians never imagined minors being able to buy weed from some second or third party user.
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