The Florida CAN blog readers are awesome. Our email and blog focusing on the civil and criminal immunity built into the language of the Make it Legal Florida proposed Constitutional Amendment got some great responses. The most frequent was a suggestion that I look up “MILF” in the Urban dictionary. If you haven’t done that, check it out.

That made me laugh out loud. In the editing process, I was advised to focus on the immunity language. My original rant was broader. The original draft absolutely went into the connotations associated with MILF and more of the issues with the proposed language which I am sharing in this post.

I first heard about Make it Legal Florida at an FLCAN quarterly Board of Director’s Meeting. Ethel Rowland, our current president was talking about MILF.

“MILF will do this, MILF will do that.” Finally, I said, “Ethel, MILF stands for Mothers I’d Like to F*ck. While you may be part of the Turtle Club when you call it MILF, Make it Legal, isn’t what comes to mind!”

She replied, “MILF is what they call themselves!”

Ethel Rowland, talks about the Turtle Club pretty frequently. The Ancient and Honorable Order of the Turtle, those individuals pure of mind and heart who don’t think of porn the first time someone says “MILF.” I am not a member of the Turtle Club. When I first heard, my feminist side was not amused. In the era of Me Too, the founders of Make it Legal Florida chose MILF as their brand.

I have to ask, are the makers of the amendment either: ignorant and they don’t know it is a sex-term; they think voters are ignorant and won’t know it’s a sex term; or, they are making a play to connect pot and sex on purpose. Either way, the strong female leaders of FLCAN were not turned-on by the branding.

Once I got past the name, the petition language still left me flat.

It isn’t just that it doesn’t allow homegrown Cannabis, it is in part the idea that all adults will go to the MEDICAL MARIJUANA TREATMENT CENTER (MMTC) to buy recreational Cannabis until we raise enough money to change the Constitution again.

When the MMTC’s who financed the initiative are asked about giving the entire adult Cannabis market to the 22 businesses that already hold licenses, their representatives are glib. “After all, it is up to the legislature to determine how many licenses are given.” Or they add, “We just want to protect our investment by assuring we get a license.” Like a five-year head start in the Florida market isn’t enough to assure they could compete in a fair process.

Another comment to my blog asked me to stop standing in the way of progress.

I countered that overturning 70 years of consumer protections for 22 companies doesn’t seem like progress. I was an opponent of the Regulate like Alcohol scheme, so I can see why it might look like I am just a nay-sayer. Maybe it is true. Maybe I would find a flaw with anything short of a pure right to the plant for people.

I have to question everything. It is part of my nature. But, I will leave you with this thought, “If those of us most familiar with the issue don’t challenge the details, who will?”

Watch for more discussions on the path to legalization.

The views in this blog belong to Jodi James, some members of FLCAN may not agree with some or all of its content.