Efforts to legalize medical marijuana in the state of Florida nearly went up in smoke after the measure failed to get the required number of votes during the mid-term elections. Now John Morgan and supporters of the measure are pushing forward to the 2016 election for another chance at legalizing the drug. Recent polls show they may be on the right track.
Morgan said he’s learned from his failed attempt and now looks forward to increasing support.
While Morgan and his brother Tim were disappointed at seeing their effort to get Medical Marijuana added to Florida’s constitution fail, they say it was a learning experience about listening to the people.
“A lot of people wanted this and one of their best arguments was number one it doesn’t belong in the constitution because then you can’t fix it if you don’t like something," Morgan said. "I agree with that.”
They said if voters didn’t want the changes to the constitution, they will support a legislative change.
A recent poll by Gravis Marketing of nearly 700 eligible voters shows 64 percent say they would support an amendment legalizing medical marijuana in 2016.
Twenty-six percent would oppose it.
Tim Morgan has been using medical marijuana for decades, after a devastating accident left him a quadriplegic at age 18.
"It was 1977. I was at Walt Disney World. I was a lifeguard," Tim said.
During a rescue attempt, Tim dove into unfamiliar water.
"When I dove in, I hit an anchor that we didn’t know was there. A big cement pylon. I broke my neck and ended up a c-6 &7 quadriplegic," Morgan said.
Since then he said he’s been plagued with violent muscle spasms and other severe ailments, like Autonomic Dysreflexia, which causes almost constant pain.
He said marijuana not only helps him but will also help thousands of people across the state with pain from ailments ranging from epilepsy to cancer.
John Morgan said he expects support for medical marijuana to continue to grow as more and more voters learn more about the drug.