Two key lawmakers Wednesday proposed allowing terminally ill patients to obtain medical marijuana to help grapple with pain, the latest twist in a nearly two-year debate about how to address the high-profile --- and emotionally charged --- issue.
Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, and Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach, held a news conference to announce the proposal, which will be considered during the 2016 legislative session. It comes as state health officials continue trying to carry out a 2014 law allowing limited types of cannabis and as a potential ballot fight looms next year over broader legalization.
Bradley said lawmakers can't "put our head in the sand" on the medical-marijuana issue, with polls showing that a majority of voters favor making cannabis available to patients.
"The people in our communities who care about cannabis reform, who want to be able to die without being jacked up with opiates and without being in excruciating pain are visiting their legislators,'' Gaetz said. "They are making phone calls. They're sending emails, and it's working."
