Florida Too Hot For Drug Proponents, Says Drug Free America Foundation.Business Editors/Health & Medical Writers ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 18, 2002 Florida proved to be too hot this week for drug proponents pushing a number of drug legalization LEGALIZATION. The act of making lawful. 2. By legalization, is also understood the act by which a judge or competent officer authenticates a record, or other matter, in order that the same may be lawfully read in evidence. Vide Authentication. measures in the state. First, FORML 1. (language) FORML - Formal Object Role Modeling Language. 2. (event) FORML - Forth Modification Lab. (Florida Organization for Reform of Marijuana marijuana or marihuana, drug obtained from the flowering tops, stems, and leaves of the hemp plant, Cannabis sativa (see hemp) or C. indica; the latter species can withstand colder climates. Laws) Freedom Fighters notified the Secretary of State's office that they were disbanding as a political action committee (PAC) and suspending further efforts to legalize le·gal·ize tr.v. le·gal·ized, le·gal·iz·ing, le·gal·iz·es To make legal or lawful; authorize or sanction by law. le marijuana use in Florida. Then, the Campaign for New Drug Policies withdrew its petition for a state ballot initiative that would have created a constitutional right to drug treatment, literacy training or family counseling instead of jail time for drug users, dealers and traffickers. "Florida is the first and only state to organize, oppose and defeat both medical excuse marijuana and right-to-drug-treatment initiatives," announced Betty S. Sembler, president of Save Our Society From Drugs (S.O.S.). "Since we were first targeted by the well-financed drug legalization movement, we have drawn a line in the Florida sand and said `Not here. Not in Florida.' We have worked hard to defeat these measures and our efforts have paid off." Supporters of the proposed medical excuse marijuana amendment began circulating cir·cu·late v. cir·cu·lat·ed, cir·cu·lat·ing, cir·cu·lates v.intr. 1. To move in or flow through a circle or circuit: blood circulating through the body. 2. petitions in 1997, however, have only managed to file 6,129 signatures with the Secretary of State. The "right-to-drug-treatment" campaign was more organized and collected about 10-percent of the 488,722 signatures necessary before abandoning its cause this week. "This initiative was misleading and seriously weakened Florida's established anti-drug laws and legitimate drug treatment programs," said Calvina L. Fay, executive director of Drug Free America Foundation, a drug education organization that monitors drug laws and policies. "While we fully support legitimate drug treatment, this measure had nothing to do with that. It provided drug offenders and felons, regardless of the drug possessed or sold or the amount possessed or sold, the right to divert from jail by electing drug treatment, literacy training or parenting instruction. Even persons with prior convictions for rape, child molestation Child molestation is a crime involving a range of indecent or sexual activities between an adult and a child, usually under the age of 14. In psychiatric terms, these acts are sometimes known as pedophilia. and other violent crimes qualified for this `get-out-of-jail-free' card." This initiative was criticized by treatment professionals because it allowed individuals with no substance abuse training whatsoever to collect state funds for providing `treatment services' to drug offenders. Drug testing, a useful deterrent to drug use while in treatment, was not required. Reading books, listening to audiocassette tapes and logging in A colloquial term for the process of making the initial record of the names of individuals who have been brought to the police station upon their arrest. The process of logging in is also called booking. to Internet chat rooms were viable and billable treatment alternatives under this measure. "The proposed constitutional amendment failed to appreciate the extent of Florida's viable treatment system. Instead, it offered the pretense of treatment, and most likely a de facto [Latin, In fact.] In fact, in deed, actually. This phrase is used to characterize an officer, a government, a past action, or a state of affairs that must be accepted for all practical purposes, but is illegal or illegitimate. legitimization of drug abuse," stated James R. McDonough, director of Florida's Office of Drug Control. "This was a shallow concept that would have only brought more drug abuse related problems to our state." Drug Free America Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit drug prevention and policy organization committed to global elimination of illegal drug use, drug addiction drug addiction or chemical dependency Physical and/or psychological dependency on a psychoactive (mind-altering) substance (e.g., alcohol, narcotics, nicotine), defined as continued use despite knowing that the substance causes harm. , drug-related illnesses and death. |
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