• May 07, 2021

In Mother’s Day card to state lawmakers, Florida moms express concern about marijuana prohibition and ask for support of legalization

Adorned with flowers and a poem, the e-card from WISE Florida was delivered to every state Senate and House member early Friday morning  — * see full card below or view PDF *

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — State lawmakers began receiving Mother’s Day cards Friday from a group of Florida moms who are concerned about the harms of marijuana prohibition and want them to consider the public safety benefits of legalization.

The Women’s Initiative for a Safe and Equitable Florida (WISE Florida) delivered the e-cards, adorned with flowers and a poem, to every member of the Florida Senate and House of Representatives just ahead of the Sunday holiday. An image of the card is below, and a PDF is available at http://bit.ly/wise-fl-mothers.

“This weekend Florida will celebrate mothers for all that we do for our families and others,” the poem begins. “No need for flowers, cards, gifts, or applause, this year all we ask: please consider our cause.

“Protecting our children is no easy mission, which is why all us moms want to end prohibition. Let’s legalize cannabis, adopt regulations, and join in the progress that’s sweeping the nation.”

WISE Florida is a statewide education and advocacy initiative launched earlier this year by a group of “working moms” from across the state. It aims to raise awareness about the harms of cannabis prohibition and build support for regulating cannabis to improve safety, advance justice, and foster opportunity in Florida. 

“End needless arrests, which create records that last, and repair the damage they caused in the past,” the poem continues. “Take sales off the street, where they may lead to violence, and put them in stores that are specially licensed.”

The poem contrasts the public polling in support of legalization with the opposition that persists among some elected officials (“backing’s still lacking among many lawmakers”), and it aims to find common ground between the two groups.

“We know you share our goal of preventing harm, and also that bold change can trigger alarm. But decades of forcing this plant underground has proven unpopular, unsafe, and unsound.”