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'Birth of Big Marijuana'?

Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.
The Florida Channel
Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.

The Florida Supreme Court has scheduled oral arguments for Dec. 5 over the language proposed for the November 2014 ballot that would legalize medical marijuana in the state of Florida, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

Attorney General Pam Bondi is asking the court to throw out the proposed language. Written arguments from Bondi and United For Care, the group behind the ballot initiative, are due Nov. 8.

Meanwhile, the McClatchy Washington Bureau reports that billboards supporting the legalization of marijuana are popping up around the country, including Florida. Their message is that pot is less hazardous than alcohol, which is legal.

 Opponents of medical marijuana say they’re worried about the message the advertising is sending to young people. Kevin Sabet, the director of the UF Drug Policy Institute, said the tactics are similar to those used by tobacco companies. “We’re witnessing the birth of Big Marijuana,” Sabet said.

Originally founded in December 2006 as an independent grassroots publication dedicated to coverage of health issues in Florida, Health News Florida was acquired by WUSF Public Media in September 2012.