Cutting Through the Fog (Prelude)

It is a beautiful, foggy Florida morning. Driving across from the east to the west coast, it almost seems as if the fog is lifting with the morning sun immediately ahead of my headlights. Doesn't seem so foggy where I am, but just up ahead, it seems like pea soup.

We are seeking to inform veterans -- many of whom we strongly believe could benefit from the use of marijuana for a variety of ailments, including post traumatic stress, cancer, and other neurological disorders -- that cannabis is being legally and effectively used by veterans in other states.

The policy of the Veterans Administration on cannabis, while good for veterans in legal states, is one of exclusion. As my friend Al Byrne puts it, VA is practicing treatment by geography. They allow the use of cannabis in courses of treatment in 20 states, but it is disallowed and grounds for removal of pain medication in the other 30 states where it is not legal to consume cannabis, an inhumane policy when you consider that the purpose of using cannabis in many of these cases is to reduce the amount of debilitating medication they need to effectively manage their pain.

Today is day three of the tour, and I join the gang at the Bay Pines VA Medical Center. Our goal this week is to get information in the hands of veterans. There will be legislation and ballot initiatives to consider this year in Florida, and we need to make sure that our veterans and our Veterans Administrations are prepared for it. 

Most importantly, everyone involved needs to understand how urgent the matter is. We cannot wait for the FDA. We cannot wait for the DEA. We cannot wait for the NIDA. We can barely even wait for the Florida Legislature to act. Allowing the charade of Reefer Madness to continue hurts our veterans in ways we have only begun to calculate.

Do you like Politics?

Here it is - time to be back in Tallahassee and that means, in part, the discipline of letting supporters know what we’re doing while we are here.

In preparation for the legislative session, I went to the local department store back home for a makeover. Coming from the school of thought "if the barn needs painting, paint it," we went for the full package.

During the barbershop style conversation, Tunde, the Hungarian cosmetician asked the usual questions. When I tried to explain what I do- she asked a pretty important question, “Do you like this politics?”

Do I like politics? No, what I like is the results of successful politics.

This year, as we head into legislative session, the battle cry is no surrender, no retreat.

Our medical cannabis bill is not perfect. We’ll need stakeholders to help us create the best – patient friendly law the country has seen. With the help of states like Washington and Colorado, we can help Florida lawmakers see that regulating and controlling cannabis has always been the right approach.

This is an uphill battle – but our cause is just….

We may not like politics; we may not always believe that these efforts are worthwhile; but, when we are here in Tallahassee, I know we are on the right path…. keep the faith, it may be darkest before the dawn but this is the Sunshine State – when we win – it will be dazzling.

Perception is Reality

Day 7
Remaining Committees – 7
Remaining Days to be heard – 40
Remaining funding – 23

There is an old saying about never eating sausage after you’ve seen how they make it. Tallahassee is a bit like that.

Today was spent playing catch up. The House was consumed with redistricting and only a few committees had business in the Senate. Our constitution set the 60 days legislative session, apparently that is consecutive days, so while lawmakers are nowhere to be found, the countdown to the end of sessions proceeds.

Lawmakers are home for a long weekend, little to no business on Monday either; but our work continues.

The theme for the week was: in Tallahassee perception is reality. I’ve spent quite a bit of time exploring the idea, meditating on its meaning and trying to see through the mystery.

Perception is reality. For now, the perception is the public in Florida doesn’t care about medical cannabis. When the CNN Money special runs early in February showing Robert Platshorn’s Silver Tour meeting at a synagogue in Boca, when they get overwhelming calls and letters of support, or when they are faced with a life threatening illness of their own they will reconsider.

In my down time today, I did some research on the 1978 Controlled Substance Therapeutic Research Program. This bill, introduced by Representative Lee Moffitt had an interesting history. Like our bills, the 1978 bill was assigned to numerous committees. After a month of languishing it was sent to a subcommittee – never a good sign.

Then something changed. Suddenly, the research act was withdrawn from its committees and within days was calendared for a vote on the House floor. The Senate picked up the bill, withdrew it from all of the committees in the Senate and again it passed with little opposition.

Perception is reality. Had we been on the outside watching the 1978 bill, we would have been convinced it didn’t have a chance.

Representative Moffitt is best known these days for his work with the Lee Moffitt Cancer Research Center. I sought him out this week when I knew he was in the Capital. He agreed to meet with me next week to share with me what happened. Why did those 1978 lawmakers suddenly change their perception of the bill?

With your e-mails, calls and letters, we are changing the perception lawmakers have about cannabis. They are beginning to see the light.

A Day in the Life of a Bill

January 18, 2012

Day 5
Remaining Committees 7
Remaining days to be heard 41
Remaining funding 25 days

Yesterday, I promised to talk more about the committee process. Most of our government business at all levels of Government takes place at the committee level. State Government works on a tight schedule and with the sheer volume of bills they consider each year, committees run tightly.

The only thing the legislature is required to do annually (according to the Constitution) is pass a balanced budget. Every ten years, the legislative session starts early in order to accommodate the other mandate required of them, redistricting.

Because of redistricting our session started early this year. A typical session begins in February and runs for 60 days. Despite the early start, our regular session lasts 60 days. If lawmakers fail to pass a budget and redefine the legislative boundaries during the regular session a special session must be called.

Members may begin filing bills in the fall prior to the legislative session. For weeks prior to the regular session legislators attend “committee weeks”. Many of the bills that were pre-filed made their way through committees prior to the beginning of session.

House members are limited to six bills each, while Senators have an unlimited number of bills they can file. With 120 members in the House, over 600 bills jockey to be heard each session. The role I’ve been sent to accomplish is vital to the passage of a bill. Bills require someone who can shepherd them from committee to committee.

The Speaker or President of the Senate appoints committee chairs. Chair appointments bring a lot of power and attention. I’ve written before about how important it is to get leadership on board. If the leadership doesn’t believe in a bill, the Chair will ignore it.

So far this week I’ve been talking members of the Criminal Justice committee in the House. There are 15 people on the Criminal Justice Committee, 10 Republicans and 5 Democrats. Since the bill sponsor is a Democrat, my work this week was assuring we’ll get all the Democratic votes in the committee. With five votes in our pocket, we simply need to find 3 Republicans to support the bill in order for it to pass the first committee.

The big hurdle is getting the Chair to hear the bill. Perception is reality in Tallahassee. Lawmakers perceive their constituents don’t support medical access. The other perception is if a Chair hears a bill, they support the bill.

Our work is bearing fruit. Today I met with a Democrat who said, “If you had asked me about this bill two weeks ago, I’d have said no. Since then I’ve had a number of calls and e-mails asking me to support it. I did the research and now believe this is an issue that has merit and I support the bill.” The nearly 1000 e-mails generated through www.FLDecides.org is making a difference.
For this legislation to pass this year, we need an avalanche of support- lucky for us avalanches do happen. Perhaps since we’re in Florida, its more appropriate to look for the perfect storm. Either way, without the calls and letters you’ve generated, success would not be possible.