Medical Marijuana Use Gets Go Ahead From Florida Governor

Florida Republican Governor Rick Scott signed a law today that permits limited medical marijuana use in his state. Specifically, the legislation allows for use of a strain called Charlotte’s Web. Lawmakers in the state achieved bipartisan support for the measure and passed it this spring.

The progress for medical marijuana use was likely motivated by the passionate pleas from parents who asserted that people who suffer from epileptic seizures may get positive results from taking the drug. In fact, the type of medical marijuana that was just given the nod of approval by the governor is named for a girl from Colorado who has gotten relief from her debilitating seizures because of marijuana.

In a statement about his approval of the medical marijuana use, Scott pointed out how he’s a father and grandfather and it’s never pleasant to see kids who are suffering. He also indicated a desire to support parents who want to provide their kids with the best possible treatment.

This freshly-inked law allows for medical marijuana use in cases where people are coping with Lou Gehrig’s disease, cancer and epileptic seizures. Also, the legislation puts strict caps on sales of the marijuana, meaning that sales will be well below what they are in states such as California, where marijuana is legal for recreational use.

Florida has now joined a total of nearly two dozen states plus the District of Columbia that have some type of legalized medical marijuana use in effect. In November, the state will have a referendum vote on whether to allow for more widespread adoption of medical marijuana, but this move by the governor is not related to that initiative.

This strain of medical marijuana is so important to some families who have children suffering from seizures that it has caused some bold parents to uproot their lives and move to Colorado. There, interested persons must join a waiting list for the drug, but when there is not a shortage, access to that type of medical marijuana is generally easier than in other places around the country.

Fortunately, there’s no need to start feeling alarmed that some kids who are as young as toddlers are being given permission by their parents to get intoxicated by medical marijuana. The Charlottes Web form comes in an oil format, so it is not smoked. Also, it has a lower-than-usual quantity of THC, the chemical that makes people high.

[Image Credit: Al Jazeera America]