"The Cathy Jordan Medical Cannibis Act" Introduced in Florida Legislature

By Charles Billi  |  Published in WTSP.com

You may not know the name Cathy Jordan, but you will soon.

Jordan is the woman at the center of the battle to legalize medical marijuana in Florida.

She suffers from Lou Gehrig’s disease and she grows and smokes marijuana to help alleviate her pain.

Ironically, police raided her home Monday and seized her marijuana stash after a government employee saw her pot plants growing in her yard.

Because she can barely speak, her husband, Bob Jordan, a veteran, speaks for her.

“If there is another drug that can help her, tell me what it is and we will use it, but there’s not. I’m going to do what I have to do to keep my wife alive,” said Jordan.

State Senator Jeff Clemens of Lake Worth introduced State Bill 1250 in Tallahassee entitled “The Cathy Jordan Medical Cannabis Act,” that would allow Floridians with debilitating medical conditions to legally obtain and use marijuana if their doctors recommend it.

The announcement is front and center on Clemens’ Facebook page, and his address on the subject two months ago hit Youtube.

“We have to get to those people who are non-believers. We need to reach those people who are willing to listen,” said Clemens. “We need to get to those people who we can change their hearts and minds, because that’s how we’re going to make a difference in the state.”

A recent poll reveals 70 percent of Floridians favor legalization, including 56 percent of Republicans.

Clemens admits legalizing pot is a Herculean task in Florida, but Jordan thinks the political ramifications could make it a reality sooner than anyone thinks.

“I think there is momentum, and I think it’s time we have an adult conversation about this,” said Jordan.