Former Florida Governor and Currently Running To Be Florida Governor Again, Charlie Crist, says that he will vote for the legalization of medical marijuana in Florida.
On Monday, the Florida Supreme Court approved to have a constitutional amendment to legalize medical weed be put on the ballot this November.
In December, Crist appeared on WJCT radio and said that the legalization of pot is "a matter of compassion."
The one-time GOPer didn't always feel this way.
See also: Florida Supreme Court Approves Medical Marijuana Initiative
When he was a Republican, Crist was antiweed across the board. As governor, he signed the Florida Marijuana Grow House Eradication Act into law, one of the most stringent bills against growing weed in the entire country.
Then he ran for the senate. And lost. And then hugged Obama. And all his GOPer buddies were all, "I AM DISAPPOINT!" and Crist left the Republicans, became a Democrat, and now he's telling everyone who will listen that he's ready to vote YES on making medical weed legal in Florida.
Crist is also buddies with Orlando-based medical marijuana advocate, John Morgan. Morgan has not only financially backed Crist, but has also been a major supporter of the "People United for Medical Marijuana" drive, the petition drive by United for Care to have medical pot put on the 2014 ballot. Morgan gave the group $2.8 million to help the cause.
Meanwhile, current Gov. Rick Scott, who is currently on a TAX BREAKS FOR ERRRBODY TOUR at the moment, has already said he'll vote against the legalization of medical marijuana.
"I have a great deal of empathy for people battling difficult diseases and I understand arguments in favor of this initiative," Scott said in a statement last week. "But, having seen the terrible effects of alcohol and drug abuse first-hand, I cannot endorse sending Florida down this path and I would personally vote against it."
See also: Charlie Crist Says Medical Marijuana Is A Matter of Compassion
Crist, on the other hand, went the other route, telling Huffington Post: "This is an issue of compassion, trusting doctors, and trusting the people of Florida. I will vote for it."
No doubt Crist's opponents and Scott himself will use the "flip-flop" card on the Democratic challenger. No doubt, too, that Crist will counter with how he has seen the error of his ways and progressed with the rest of the state, while his ex party remains grounded in their old ways.
No doubt ads for and against medical marijuana are going to saturate us in the next year.
The legalization of medical weed in Florida will be right there with Crist v. Scott, as far as THE ISSUE EVERYBODY WILL MAKE LOUD ANGRY NOISES ABOUT in 2014.
So sit back, relax, and enjoy the crazy.
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