Florida is not exactly a state that you associate with progressive and forward-thinking policies. And there’s a good reason for it.
According to Tampa Bay Times columnist John Romano, it’s due to the head-in-the sand philosophy of the legislators in Tallahassee who refuse to pay attention to which way the wind is blowing — even when that wind hits them with hurricane force.
Romano, who is as good an observer (and a barometer) of where Florida residents see things going as anyone, recently waded into the legal marijuana debate and essentially said that the State Legislature in the Sunshine State will have to be dragged kicking and screaming into doing anything to follow the will of the people and help legalize cannabis there.
He makes a great case that marijuana legalization is coming — “inevitable” is the word he uses — and that Florida and it’s stick-in-the-mud legislature better get with the program.
Here’s how he puts it:
For once, Florida lawmakers need to approach an issue with logic instead of emotion. The direction of marijuana reform is apparent, and neither grandstanding nor delay will change that direction.
There are legitimate concerns about the consequences of legalized pot.
So a responsible lawmaker would be looking right now at the lessons of Colorado and Washington, D.C., for guidance. A responsible lawmaker would be considering the ramifications unique to Florida. A responsible lawmaker would stay ahead of the issue with solid rules and regulations instead of chasing it with partisan sound bites.
But here’s our problem: How many responsible lawmakers do we have?”
That’s a great point: marijuana legalization is dependent, in a great many cases, by state lawmakers being compelled to follow citizen sentiment and do the right thing. But, what if the legislators not compelled to do the right thing, as is the case in a great many cases?
This simply reinforces what we already know and should never lose sight of: Although it’s OK to try to get a legislative solution to the legal marijuana problem, you’re foolish if you believe that is the best approach.
Legislators are notoriously oblivious to the will and wants of the public, as I see all too often in my home state of California. When they do act, as they just did in California, the end result is frequently such that you wish they had never taken action at all.
So, just remember: when it comes to legalizing marijuana, nothing beats a ballot initiative where the people have their say.
It’s the only way the people really have a voice in what happens, and it keeps state legislators from mucking with it to drive their own personal agendas.
The post Last Word: Florida Residents – If You Want Legal Cannabis, You Need to Legalize It Yourself appeared first on Cannabis Business Executive - WPE.