Florida A&M University’s Medical Marijuana Education and Research Initiative (MMERI) is hosting two free all-day forums that began Friday and will end Saturday to educate the Tallahassee community about marijuana, a controversial topic.
During the Friday forum in FAMU’s Grand Ballroom, FAMU alumna Shamarial Roberson — former Florida Deputy Secretary for Health who currently serves as president of Health and Human Services at Indelible Business Solutions — said the event creates a space for an “important and very timely conversation” as it is held during a time where efforts are being made to pass a marijuana measure (Amendment 3).
Recreational marijuana is not legal in Florida, but the amendment would allow individuals over 21 years of age to have up to three ounces of pot and up to five grams of cannabis concentrate.
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As panelists at the forum talked about topics including marijuana’s legal status and its dangers, Roberson moderated the discussion and asked the speakers what the difference is between medical marijuana and street marijuana, which is cannabis sold on the illicit market.
One of the speakers, Michael McCormick — an education coordinator for Florida’s Poison Control Centers in Jacksonville — says the answer is “safety.”
“When it comes to medical marijuana, we have a state office that oversees the dispensaries and the process,” McCormick said,…