Everyone who smokes marijuana should have a prescription.  Anyone who is denied a prescription, I will represent them for free to get the prescription.  Medical marijuana is legal in the state of Florida although the Legislature is dragging their feet in crafting a bill to allow users to smoke it.

I’ve never known someone who’s been denied a prescription but if you have been denied, come and see me and I will help you.

The Harvard Medical School published a study highlighting the medical benefits of marijuana use for a range of conditions and illnesses, not all of which involve the alleviation of pain and suffering due to cancer treatment.  A report published earlier this year by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine analyzed more than 10,000 studies to see what could conclusively be said about the health effects of all this marijuana.  They concluded regarding chronic pain, there’s evidence that patients who are treated with cannabis or cannabinoids “are more likely to experience a significant reduction in pain symptoms,” the researchers say. More particularly, for adults with muscle spasms related to multiple sclerosis, there is “substantial evidence,” they say, that short-term use of certain oral cannabinoids can improve symptoms. And for adults with chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, “there is conclusive evidence” that certain oral cannabinoids are effective in preventing and treating those ailments.

Writing for the Harvard Medical School, Wynne Armand, MD notes, “Although marijuana can help relieve the symptoms of certain medical conditions, its use is still illegal on a federal level, and because we don’t have data from large, long-term, well-designed studies, the FDA continues to have concerns about potential risks versus benefits. Fortunately, studies continue on marijuana, THC, and cannabidiol (a component of marijuana which does not have the mind-altering effects of THC). Early research shows cannabidiol and its derivatives hold potential promise in additional conditions like drug-resistant epilepsy and some psychiatric disorders (e.g., anxiety, substance use disorders, schizophrenia, and psychosis).”

There are already many medical conditions which marijuana can help alleviate.  Studies prove it.  I suspect as research into the medical benefits of marijuana continues, there will be new and innovative ways in which marijuana can be used to treat serious and/or chronic medical conditions.

Most importantly, this is a medical issue that should be the purview of doctors not politicians or elected officials who most often know nothing about science or the chemistry of the human body.  John Morgan is right in planning to sue Florida for the right to use marijuana.  In last year’s election, 71% of Floridians chose to support the legalization of medical marijuana.

It’s time the Florida Legislature listened to scientists, the medical professionals, and the will of the people and stopped acting like they always know what’s best for us.

I’ll say it again, if you have been denied a prescription for medical marijuana, I’ll represent you for free.