Florida marijuana petition meets criteria for November ballot

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Florida marijuana petition meets criteria for November ballot

BY BILL COTTERELL
TALLAHASSEE Fri Jan 24, 2014 5:41pm EST

(Reuters) - A petition drive to allow medical use of marijuana by patients with a debilitating disease cleared a major hurdle on Friday, surpassing the number of signatures needed for a spot on Florida's election ballot.

The issue is still pending before the state Supreme Court, which has until April 1 to determine whether the ballot language meets state standards.

If the petition is approved by 60 percent of voters in November, Florida would become the first southern U.S. state, joining 20 other states in approving marijuana for medical use.

A Quinnipiac University Polling Institute survey late last year showed 82 percent public support for the amendment, if it gets on the ballot. A constitutional amendment in Florida requires 60 percent voter approval for adoption.

[font size=1]-snip-[/font]

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/01/24/us-usa-florida-marijuana-idUSBREA0N1RZ20140124

[Eleanors38]

1. Good news! As Florida goes, so goes the nation.

[FLyellowdog]

2. Woo! Hoo! nt

[davidpdx]

3. That should be interesting

I think it will be on the ballot again in Oregon. As I said in another post, I think there will be tons of ballot measures this November in my state.

[bigdarryl]

4. Why the fuck does the courts have to step in on a signature petition

Only in FUCKED UP Florida

[quaker bill]

5. all initiatives are cleared by the court

There is a requirement that any initiative, even those brought forward by the legislature, have one purpose and for that purpose to be stated clearly, simply, and accurately in the ballot summary. They do not get to rule on the substance, just on whether you will get what they say you are voting for if it passes.

Some that our repug legislature brought forward were tossed as misleading. This was a good thing.

[Eugene]

6. Florida Supreme Court Clears Way For Medical Marijuana On Ballot

Source: CBSMiami

Florida Supreme Court Clears Way For Medical Marijuana On Ballot

January 27, 2014 2:23 PM

TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/NSF) – The Florida Supreme Court has approved a medical marijuana ballot initiative for the November election.

The Florida Supreme Court approved the wording of the proposed constitutional amendment in a 4-3 decision. The four yes votes came from justices appointed by Lawton Chiles, Jeb Bush, and one from Charlie Crist. The no votes were all put on the votes by Crist.

[font size=1]-snip-[/font]

The decision is another defeat for Attorney General Pam Bondi who challenged the ballot language saying it was misleading. It’s another high-profile loss for Bondi, who also lost the Affordable Care Act battle before the U.S. Supreme Court.

The move comes less than a week after medical marijuana proponents cleared a major hurdle by surpassing the number of signatures required to make it on the November ballot.

[font size=1]-snip-[/font]

Read more: http://miami.cbslocal.com/2014/01/27/florida-supreme-court-clears-way-for-medical-marijuana-on-ballot/