Many states are looking at possible reform legislation with regard to medical marijuana use and outright legalization.The Marijuana Policy Project began running an ad campaign touting the legalization of marijuana as a way to help California dig their way out of their current budget crisis. The 30 second spot features a 58 year old school teacher, Nadene Herndon, who points out that taxes could help offset cuts faced by schools, health care and police:

We have a major problem in California with our budget,” said Herndon, 58, a former state analyst who started eating marijuana-infused treats after a series of strokes three years ago left her with shoulder spasms. “We need to explore other alternatives. Source: Sacramento Bee

California is one of 13 states that have legalized medical use of marijuana beginning in 1996. In 2004, California expanded the program to allow patients to cultivate marijuana plants collectively. Over the last six months, the number of dispensaries has grown exponentially. The City of Sacramento alone has 30 such distribution centers. The growth of these pot stores has been attributed to the Obama Administration’s promise not to prosecute dispensaries as long as they adhere to state laws.

Seems like pretty exciting times for advocates of ending marijuana prohibition. Not if you live in Florida. We read about Florida’s number one ranking in prescription drug overdoses and the rapid expansion of pain clinics and wonder why that isn’t being given more attention. To combat the prescrition drug issue, the State passed a law that critics say will do nothing to curtail what has become the true drug problem in Florida.

Drug dealers come to Florida from all over the country to buy prescription drugs because the laws are so weak and yet if you are caught with marijuana, even for medical reasons, they can put you in jail. In Florida, the lawmakers seem more interested in carrying out their political agendas then in doing what is in the best interest of all of the people of Florida. Sadly, but not surprisingly, Florida’s legislature did not see fit to include any marijuana policy reform on their recent legislative agenda.

Although President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder have both stated that the federal government will no longer expend resources interfering with state medical marijuana laws, Florida legislators have yet to catch on to what modern scientific research, the public, and at least 13 other states already know — sick and dying patients do not belong behind bars for using medicine that has been recommended by a doctor. Please contact your legislators today and ask them to introduce medical marijuana legislation next session. Source: MMP.org

Not only does Florida possess the harshest marijuana laws in the nation, but at a time when most of the country is coming to the conclusion that perhaps it’s time to ease off the penalties with regard to marijuana, Florida upped the ante:

On June 17, 2008, Gov. Charlie Crist (R) signed into law HB173/SB390, which carelessly lumps real drug dealers and small time offenders into the same category by creating the ridiculous judicial presumption that as few as 25 marijuana plants — one-fourth the amount the federal government considers a trafficking threshold — makes one a “drug trafficker.” Florida already had the dubious honor of having the nation’s harshest marijuana possession laws — less than 20 grams can land you in jail for a year and cost you $1,000. Even worse, possession of more than 20 grams is a felony. This new law puts Florida even further ahead of the draconian pack as the Sunshine State can now claim a trafficking standard 4 times as tough as the federal government’s! MMP.org

Whether or not the push for outright legalization of marijuana in California is successful is anyone’s guess. Between the success of the medical marijuana program and the current budgetary disaster, it certainly seems like the stage is set for a breakthrough to occur. In May, Governor Schwarzenegger stated that “it’s time for California to study whether to legalize and tax marijuana for recreational use”. That’s a pretty strong statement for a Republican Governor to make and those in favor of legalization are pulling out all the stops to continue the momentum that is building.

The timing of the Marijuana Policy Project’s ad couldn’t be better. Other states facing similar revenue shortfalls should watch carefully to see if California decides to pull the trigger on this much debated issue. If they do, they would become the first state brave enough to stop the hypocrisy that continues to exist with regard to prohibition in this country.

Economically, statistics are so one sided in pointing out the cost benefit analysis regarding legalization that 500 of our country’s top economists were moved to sign an open letter to the President in support of legalization of marijuana:

We, the undersigned, call your attention to the attached report by Professor Jeffrey A. Miron, The Budgetary Implications of Marijuana Prohibition. The report shows that marijuana legalization — replacing prohibition with a system of taxation and regulation — would save $7.7 billion per year in state and federal expenditures on prohibition enforcement and produce tax revenues of at least $2.4 billion annually if marijuana were taxed like most consumer goods. If, however, marijuana were taxed similarly to alcohol or tobacco, it might generate as much as $6.2 billion annually. Source: About.com

The Marijuana Policy Project takes a very pragmatic approach in their arguments for legalization of marijuana:

1.Prohibition does not work.

2.They would rather see a regulated industry with standards and guidelines rather than leaving it up to drug dealers and cartels as it is today.

3. With 40% of all arrests in this country related to marijuana, (over 870,000 users and growers) the police have much more important things to do.1.Prohibition does not work.

As for Florida, a local group called People United For Medical Marijuana (PUFMM) is currently circulating a petition to place a medical marijuana question on the 2010 statewide ballot. PUFFM will need to collect 676,881 valid signatures to present the question to voters.(If you are interested in signing the petition, you can click on their link above) We can only hope that enough people can convince our legislators that people who are sick and in pain shouldn’t be penalized for using a substance that eases that pain. It’s the last thing they should have to worry about.