In 2010, it was called the “single greatest challenge to the state’s public health and safety,” according to Florida drug czar Bruce Grant. The unlawful prescription drug trade was in full swing, with pill mills doling out powerfully addictive pills left and right and the number of Floridians being killed by otherwise legal drugs growing exponentially. The problem was met with swift action and a collective effort by state, federal, and local authorities. Now it seems to be coming under control, but the fight hasn’t been all positive. [Read more…]
Florida Medical Marijuana Bill Fails to Advance
Update: This post is from early 2013. The 2014 medical marijuana ballot initiative is approved and ready to go before the voters in November.
It’s been an impressive turnaround in just a year, thanks to the incredibly hard work of organizations like United for Care.
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Despite the fact that an estimated 70% of Floridians support medical marijuana, lawmakers have failed to move a bill that would put the framework for such a system in place. The “Cathy Jordan Medical Cannabis Act” didn’t even make it to hearing. While one lawmaker is promising to reintroduce an updated version next year, some are hoping to get it to the ballot instead.
Determined Activists Petition Florida’s Attorney General in Hope of Reclassifying Marijuana
In the last 10 years, the landscape of marijuana reform in the United States has transformed drastically; It’s much more green. There are now 18 states, including Washington, D.C., that have legalized medical marijuana in one form or another. Thirteen states have decriminalized it, and two have legalized the recreational use of marijuana. [Read more…]
Oxycodone Deaths Down, Other Drug Deaths Up in FL
Oxycodone addiction is a serious problem. It’s one of the most popular prescription drugs to abuse and it’s been at the center of Florida’s war on “pill mills”. Indications are that Floridians are using less of it. But the bad news is that drug related deaths overall are up. [Read more…]
Governor Rick Scott’s Opposition to Drug Sentencing Reform
A group of “tax watchdogs” and business lobbyists are working to create a program of justice reform. They are hoping to draft legislation that would create alternatives to incarceration, saving taxpayers money and hopefully reducing recidivism. But, they are also bracing for possible opposition from Gov. Rick Scott. [Read more…]
Fort Lauderdale “Pill Mill” Busted, 10 Arrested
In the past few years, the state of Florida has seen numerous pill mills move out, as lawmakers have passed stricter laws and law enforcement have cracked down. But these clinics of questionable ethics are still around, as was shown this week in Fort Lauderdale where 10 people including seven doctors were arrested. [Read more…]
Florida Supreme Court Rules You Don’t Have to Know it was Drugs
You don’t have to know you were carrying illegal drugs in order to be convicted of a drug offense, according to a Florida State Supreme Court ruling. [Read more…]
Local Judge Questions Credibility of Daytona Beach Police Officers
When two Daytona Beach Police Officers wanted to search the home that 46-year old David Beauprez shared with his elderly mother, they lied to the woman to gain entry without a warrant. Circuit Judge Joseph Will reasoned that if the police were willing to lie to the elderly mother for a small amount of drugs, their case against Beuprez could not be trusted, and he suppressed the crucial drug evidence in the case. [Read more…]
Florida Prescription Drug Tracking On-Line
The prescription drug tracking system which passed the legislature in 2009 is finally up and running as of midnight Thursday night. After issues with funding and an effort by Governor Scott to kill the program, Florida has become the 36th state to create such a system in the battle against prescription drug abuse. [Read more…]
Florida Drug Law Stricken, Ruled Unconstitutional
In a move that stands to potentially flood the Florida courts with a multitude of appeals, U.S. District Judge Mary Scriven ruled the statewide Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act to be unconstitutional, eliminating its impact altogether. [Read more…]