Rick Scott Signs Charlotte’s Web Bill

Gov. Rick Scott really wants to get re-elected. Scott had previously been against medical marijuana. Polls have shown Floridians overwhelmingly supporting medical marijuana. Smart GOP consultants like Rick Wilson saw how the Right was losing this fight. Wilson made these remarks to the Orlando Sentinel.

“Society is changing. Republicans can let some steam out of this and take the issue away from Charlie Crist and John Morgan by proving they have a heart and are responsive to people,” GOP consultant Rick Wilson said.

“This is a no-brainer for people with a political head and compassionate heart.”

Wilson said the wing of the party still resistant to marijuana-legalization issues – evangelicals and “tough on crime” conservatives who have been anti-drug for 25 years – have largely won the fight over abortion (with public opinion shifting in their favor), lost the fight over gay marriage, and are making drug legalization “the hill they die on.”

“I do not think that’s an effective position to be in,” he said.

Wilson sent me this message on Twitter.

Q: Need an on-the-record quote on why you think GOP should drop opposition to medical marijuana. DM me.

Wilson: Because society has moved past reefer madness, witnessed the failure of the war on drugs, and the pro-freedom position is to move on.

Scott is usually politically tone deaf. However, someone must have pointed out to him that attorney John Morgan will use Amendment 2 to help bring out the vote for Charlie Crist. Morgan is a longtime Crist supporter and the main financial backer of United For Care. UFC is the main group responsible for placing Amendment 2 on the November ballot.

Ballot language for Amendment 2.

The official ballot text reads as follows:

"Allows the medical use of marijuana for individuals with debilitating diseases as determined by a licensed Florida physician. Allows caregivers to assist patients’ medical use of marijuana. The Department of Health shall register and regulate centers that produce and distribute marijuana for medical purposes and shall issue identification cards to patients and caregivers. Applies only to Florida law. Does not authorize violations of federal law or any non-medical use, possession or production of marijuana."

In order to take some momentum away from Amendment 2, Scott signed 1030. Low levels of THC medical marijuana will be allowed for patients. The patients must have medical needs that qualify for the compassionate use registry. A related bill Scott signed, SB 1700, would keep the names of the patients on the compassionate use registry confidential. The exceptions would be law enforcement investigations, department regulating and doctors filling out a prescription.

Scott statement on signing SB 1030.

“The approval of Charlotte’s Web will ensure that children in Florida who suffer from seizures and other debilitating illnesses will have the medication needed to improve their quality of life,” Scott said in a news release.

It's all about the kids for Rick Scott. It has nothing to do with the possibility that Amendment 2 might help get out the vote for Crist. Except that back in January, Scott said he would not support a state constitutional amendment to make medical marijuana legal.

"I have a great deal of empathy for people battling difficult diseases and I understand arguments in favor of this initiative," he said in a statement provided to CNN by a spokesman. "But, having seen the terrible affects (sic) of alcohol and drug abuse first-hand, I cannot endorse sending Florida down this path and I would personally vote against it."

It is not the children for Rick Scott. It is about Amendment 2.

Eating words is Rich

Frank Rich, 2/14/2009:

The G.O.P. doesn’t recognize that it emerged from the stimulus battle even worse off than when it started. That obliviousness gives the president the opening to win more ambitious policy victories than last week’s. Having checked the box on attempted bipartisanship, Obama can now move in for the kill.

Frank Rich, 9/12/2010:

NO, he can’t. President Obama can’t reverse the unemployment numbers by Election Day. He can’t get even a modest new stimulus bill past the Party of No, and even if he could, there would be few jobs to show for it until (maybe) 2011. Nor can he rewrite the history of his administration. Its signal accomplishments to date are an initial stimulus package that was overrun by the calamity at hand and a marathon health care battle as yet better known for its unseemly orgy of backroom wrangling than its concrete results. While that brawl raged, the White House seemed indifferent to the mounting number of Americans being tossed onto the Great Recession scrapheap.

Oh Frank, Frank, Frank...

Reproductive Rights Out of H.R. 3200

Ben Smith's headline "Abortion sidetracks health care debate" really pisses me off. Abortion is an important health care issue. An amendment to the America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 eliminates abortion as required coverage. It was never clear if abortion would have been mandated in coverage. The amendment prohibits abortions being part of "required coverage." Where the legislative language gets tricky is no federal health care plan will not required or prohibited from abortion funding. Policy wise: this is a victory for conservatives. There are too many hurdles in the bill for money to go into abortion funding. The Obama administration is not going to get into a political fight over reproductive rights. Which is a shame.

The federal government is letting the states decide if health care dollars will fund abortions. Republicans in Red States keep federal dollars from funding abortion. Blue states get short changed.

The conscience clause will work it's way into an amendment. The Church amendment was the first legislation that allowed medical facilities to deny providing abortions based on religious views. This is a dangerous and unethical form of medicine. In Tampa, a rape victim was denied a second morning after pill because it was against a health care worker's religious beliefs. The woman reported being raped and was arrested by a Tampa Police Officer for late student loans. I don't have the stomach to listen to nonsense about the conscience clause.