“Florida, Pot Shops May be Coming to a Neighborhood Near You!” Warns Drug Free America Foundation

October 5, 2009
For Immediate Release
For More Information Contact: Lana Beck (727) 828-0211 or (727) 403-7571

“Florida, Pot Shops May be Coming to a Neighborhood Near You!” Warns Drug Free America Foundation

(St. Petersburg, FL) In 2010, the state of Florida potentially faces a medical marijuana ballot initiative that would legalize marijuana under the guise of medicine and allow for pot shops. If passed, Florida could face the same ongoing issues as California has for quite some time.
 
Recently, California's Court of Appeal upheld a permanent injunction that bans pot shops, known as “medical marijuana dispensaries” from operating in Claremont. According to Paul Chabot, founder of the Coalition for a Drug Free California, "There are so many court cases going on, not just in California, but around the country largely funded by pro-drug legalization lawyers. There's always a court case in the hopper which could affect cities and states on any given day." Chabot described this verdict as a “small victory in the war on drugs.”
 
“Florida residents should be concerned about replicating California’s failures,” says Calvina Fay, executive director of Drug Free America Foundation. “Studies show that in cities like San Diego where this issue has been closely examined, only 2% of those smoking marijuana under the guise of medicine have serious conditions such as AIDS, glaucoma or cancer. A full 98% are ‘treating’ conditions such as back and neck pain, anxiety, muscle spasms, insomnia, headaches and other less significant conditions. But even more troubling is that 12% of the users are under 21!”
 

If you would like to set up an interview about this issue with Calvina Fay or Paul Chabot please contact Lana Beck at (727) 828-0211 or (727) 403-7571.

Drug Free America Foundation is headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida and is dedicated to fighting drug use, drug addiction and drug trafficking and to promoting effective sound drug policies, education and prevention. For more discussion please visit our blog at www.dfaf.org.
   
Facts to consider:
 
• Marijuana dispensaries, better known as “pot shops,” are outlets that sell, administer, dispense, distribute, cultivate, and possess marijuana and related supplies under the guise of dispensing medicine.
 
• Pot shops have been operating in California since the passage of Prop 215, a proposition that legalized marijuana as a so-called medicine.
 
• To date there are over 600 marijuana dispensaries operating in Los Angeles alone. There are some neighborhoods in Los Angeles where the number of marijuana dispensaries exceeds the amount of Starbucks and McDonalds.
 
• Within the last two years, 117 cities and 7 counties in California have banned pot shops. Common secondary byproducts related to dispensaries include: drug dealing, sales to minors, loitering, heavy vehicle and foot traffic in retail areas, increased noise and robberies of customers just outside the facilities.
 
• Dispensaries claim to operate as non-profit, but they have been tied to organized crime gangs and are often multi-million dollar profit centers