The Florida Supreme Court is hearing arguments Thursday on a ballot initiative to legalize marijuana for medical purposes through a constitutional amendment, the Tampa Tribune reports. Attorney General Pam Bondi is challenging the ballot’s language on the grounds that it’s misleading. If the justices decide the summary for voters to consider is unclear or inaccurate, it will most likely kill the effort to get the issue on the ballot in 2014.
The group behind the ballot, United For Care, is heavily financed by Orlando attorney John Morgan, who says allowing medical marijuana in Florida would help people who are really sick. As the Tribune reports, Bondi will argue the language of the proposed constitutional amendment would allow almost anyone access to medical marijuana.
One of the 133,296 Floridians who signed the petition to get the measure on in the ballot is Vivian Garrote. As the Sarasota Herald-Tribune reports, she has multiple sclerosis. She believes smoking marijuana could help ease the debilitating symptoms of MS, but she’s not willing to break the law to try it.
