Making Tracks

Day 6
Remaining Committees – 7
Remaining Days to be heard – 40
Remaining funding – 24 days

Florida Cannabis Action Network President of the Board, Cathy Jordan, spent three days here in Tallahassee last week. As a person surviving with Lou Gehrig’s Disease she is truly an inspiration. Although she is wheelchair bound and requires constant assistance from her caregiver Adam, she made meeting after meeting.

Non-smoking hotels means if smoking cannabis is your medicine, you have to make alternative arrangements to medicate. In the cold, without proper medication, two sick friends stuck in the hotel and Cathy still made meeting after meeting.

When you work with people like that, complaining seems a little juvenile. That aside, being here is hard work. Long days, high stakes, add lots of walking and more than a little stress. We know how important our success is to the future of Florida.

A last minute decision on the part of the House Judiciary committee pushed back the committee hearing from 8 am to 9. Who knew. That extra hour of sleep would have been welcome; but watching the committee work was worth the early morning.

This morning, Preventing Deaths from Drug- related Overdoses HB 125 sponsored by Representative Bernard was on the agenda. In New Mexico, a similar bill was passed in 2005. It was part of a strategy by drug policy reformers to educate the legislature. Although Representative Bernard is a democrat, the bill enjoys bipartisan support. This bill passed easily through committee this morning. It was the support by law enforcement agencies that peaked my curiosity. Representative Bernard agreed to meet next week to give us advice on how to build those bridges with unlikely allies.

The same bill was introduced by Representative Bernard last year. It passed through all of its committees but didn’t make it to the floor for a vote. Not encouraging but a reality here in Tallahassee.

The Florida Senate was in session both Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, so today was my first opportunity to see them in committee. The more I watch bills make tracks though the committee the more clear it is how much we need leadership support.

If Senator Haridopolis and Speaker Cannon or the Governor doesn’t push for medical cannabis, it is unlikely our bill will be heard in the first committee. We aren’t done yet, but success will only happen with a ground swell of support.