In 2016, Florida voters approved the use of medical marijuana by 71%. The proponents of the current legislation would like to expand marijuana use to adults for their personal use. As voters, we need to be well-informed about this issue by reviewing the pros and cons for approval. This post will focus on the recreational use, rather than the medical use of the drug.
From the James Madison Institute:
"Constitutional Merit: This measure can be enacted in statute by the Florida Legislature. It does not require a constitutional amendment to address"
What are the “pros” of recreational use of marijuana? 
- People may experience a feeling of joy, relaxation.
- An increased sense of sight, hearing, and taste may result.
- When there is a lack of desire to eat, people may experience increased appetite.
- It will remove cannabis from the illegal market and then can be taxed and regulated.
- Taxes received could be designated for marijuana research.
What are the “cons” of using marijuana recreationally?
- Frequent marijuana use may seriously affect your short-term memory.
- Frequent use can impair your cognitive (thinking) abilities.
- Smoking anything, whether it's tobacco or marijuana, can damage your lung tissue. In addition, smoking marijuana could increase the risk of lung cancer.
- Marijuana carries a risk of abuse and addiction.
- Marijuana use impairs driving skills and increases the risk for car collision.
One concern of the medical community is that there are only a limited number of studies on marijuana recreational use. This may result from the federal government’s labeling it a Schedule I controlled substance, a category that includes heroin, and these drugs are still illegal. In addition, there are no long-term studies for measuring the effects of marijuana.
If you have children, you will likely be interested in the potential effects of marijuana on them. The “pros” described above would still apply. There are downsides to children using recreational marijuana, however. If your children seem to be excessively tired, that could be a sign of use. If they appear depressed or hostile, which is uncharacteristic of them, that could also be an indicator. If they’ve shown a lack of interest in their personal hygiene or grooming, it’s worth addressing. Or simply withdrawing and distancing themselves from others is also a clue.
There have also been studies that show the impact of cannabis on the developing brain of a child.
Very young children may also ingest cannabis in one of its many other forms; children could overdose if they ingest these products, not realizing that it is not food.
There is also some evidence that there could be something going on with the impact of cannabis on the developing brain that could prime you to be at greater risk of using other substances later down the road, or finding the use of other substances more reinforcing.
Convention of States
As a responsible citizen, it’s important for you to do your own homework on all six upcoming amendments and make certain to vote on each amendment. You’ll want to weigh the limited information we have on marijuana, its benefits and drawbacks. Only you can decide which choice is best for you and for the state of Florida.
