Volusia County petition drive organizer & Democrat Ellen Juliani to Attorney General Pam Bondi: 'Put that in your pipe and smoke it'
Graphic for Headline Surfer® / TALLAHASSEE -- Florida's top court today signed off on the wording of a medical marijuana ballot question that asks Sunshine State voters voters to join nearly two dozen across the country in legalizing the drug for medicinal purposes.
The news was met with excitement by Deltona Democratic Party insider Ellen Juliano, herself a cancer survivor, and a key local organizer in the petition drive to get the medical marijuana ballot initiative drive, who had a personal message for the state attorney general: "Put that in pipe ands smoke it, Pam Bondi!"
Ellen Juliano of Deltona, who was a key organizer behind the petition drive for the ballot initiative to legalize medical marijuana, had some choice words for Attorney General Pam Bondi, shown here at right, who opposes the pot smoking regardless of potential medical benefits.
The news was met with excitement by Deltona Democratic Party insider Ellen Juliano, herself a cancer survivor, and a key local organizer in the petition drive to get the medical marijuana ballot initiative drive, had a personal message for the state attorney general: "Put that in pipe ands smoke it, Pam Bondi!"
Juliano excitedly shared the news with her friends on her Facebook page late this afternoon, writing, "Florida State Supreme Court says YES to approve medical marijuana ballot language... We are ON the November ballot!!!"
The politics behind the fight on legalization of pot isn't pretty for conservatives like Bondi, who asserted the ballot language considered by the justices was misleading.
And in an election year, the 4-3 split by the Supreme Court justices allowing for the constitutional amendment to appear on the Florida ballot is seen as a defeat for Gov. Rick Scott who, like Bondi, opposes the marijuana use, even for medical reasons like helping cancer patients suffering from nausea, vomiting and loss of appetite due to chemo treatments.
Photos for Headline Surfer® / The High Court's ruling is not only a defeat for the "Just Say No" GOP mantra of conservatives like Bondi, but also an embarrassment politically for the Republican governor for two very obvious reasons:
1. Personal injury lawyer John Morgan, known for his "For the People" TV commercials, spent $4 million of his own money to help with the funding necessary to get the petitions out to the public.
2. Former Republican Gov. Charlie Crist works for Morgan in St. Petersburg and now running as a Democrat, is the perceived favorite to get the Democratic nomination against party rival and State Sen. Nan Rich. Both support the medical marijuana ballot initiative.
The Supreme Court's decision comes just three days the minimum 683,149 signatures required was far surpassed, the precursor approval by the justices assuring the ballot would go to the voters in November.
Juliano had earlier let her supporters know Friday on Facebook that their grassroots effort meant the language would go to the Supreme Court.
"We did it," Juliano said Friday. "Over 710,000 verified medical marijuana (signatures). Go Florida and thank you, John Morgan and all of the awesome volunteers!"
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The debate is on as to validity of medical marijuana for those suffering from cancer and other diseases for which the drug reportedly brings relief
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