The medical-cannabis bill awaiting Gov. Rick Scott's signature has sparked many hopes and fears. But most of them are unwarranted, writes public-health retiree and consumer activist Gary Stein.
His column, published in ContextFlorida, notes that the Legislature wrote a very narrow bill to allow prescriptions of "Charlotte's Webb," an oil extract that has little of the chemical that produces euphoria but is high in one that eases pain and seizures.
Florida is not California, Stein writes:
"Anyone knowledgeable about the bill knows that it’s the cautious walk (Senate President Don) Gaetz described and that it has nothing to do with recreational marijuana. To those who think that this be will be the beginning of their chance to start singing, “Light Up, Everybody,” I’m sorry to be the bearer of reality.
"To those who think that this bill is the start of a get-rich-quick industry, you either don’t know much about the Florida Legislature or you’re from out of state, which many of the potential marijuana growers are."