1. May 9, 2014
Dear FPCA Member:
As youare aware,the FPCA iscloselyinvolvedwiththe effortstodissuadeFloridacitizensfrompassinga
constitutional amendmentlegalizingmedical marijuana.Ourassociationhasjoined“Don’tLetFloridago
to Pot,”a lawenforcementcoalition,toraise awarenessaboutthisissueandwe feel those effortsare
havinga positive impact.However,we plantosupplementthe workof the coalitionwithourownfocus
on the impactmedical marijuanawouldhave onourcommunities,specificallyFloridabusinessesand
propertyowners.
We have developedatoolkitthatwill provide youwiththe informationyouneedtodiscussthisissue
withinyourcommunities.The attachedpacketincludesamediastatement,atemplate lettertothe
editor,talkingpointsandguidelinesforimplementingourstrategylocally.
Your supportand involvementatthe local level isimperativetooursuccess.If you have any questions
aboutthese materialsorthe strategy,please call oremail me directly.Please alsofeelfree toshare
updateswithus;we’dlove tokeeptrackof any progresswe’re makingwithinourcommunities.
Thank youfor yoursupport!
AmyMercer
Executive Director,FPCA
amercer@fpca.com
850.219.3631

2. Medical Marijuana: Bad for Your Community
Community-Based Strategy
The FPCA’s strategyfocusesprimarilyoneachChief’srelationshipswithinhisorhercommunityand
providesmessagingtailoredtobusinessownersandhomeowners. Withapproval fromyourcity
managerand/orcity attorney,please followthese stepstoengage yourlocal communitymembers:
1. Outreach to local Chambers ofCommerce. Local Chambersof Commerce oftenrequestupdates
fromtheirChief of Police.Please contactyourChamberof Commerce torequestanopportunityto
share the FPCA’spositiononlegalizingmedical marijuana.If youdonotalreadyhave contact
informationforyourChamberof Commerce,thisresource mayassistyou:
http://www.2chambers.com/florida2.htm.Whenyouhave scheduledyourspeakingopportunity,
please use the FactSheetincludedinthistoolkitasyourtalkingpoints.Youmayalsoprintthe Fact
Sheet(twopagesorone two-page document) todistributetolocal Chambermembers. Pleasereach
out as appropriate toothergroupswithwhichyouare familiar(RotaryClubs,Kiwanis,etc.) ONLYif
youare comfortable addressinganyoppositionwhichmembersmayraise.
2. Submit a Letter to the Editor. Includedinthis toolkitisatemplate Lettertothe Editor.Please insert
your name andthe name of your municipalityandsubmitthe lettertoyourlocal newspaper.The
FPCA has alsoincludedapartial listof Floridanewspaperswithinstructionsonhow tosubmita
lettertothe editorto eachpaper.If yourlocal newspaperisnotincludedinthislist,please follow
these steps:
2.1. Findyourlocal publication'shome page online.
2.2. Lookfor "Editorials"or"Opinions" - mostLetterstothe Editorsubmissionformsare under
these sections.
2.3. Findthe "Letterstothe Editor"sectionorthe closestequivalent.Instructionsfor
submittingletterstothe editorshouldbe inthisarea.
2.4. If there are noeasilyaccessibleinstructions,Googlesearchthe publication's name +"
submitlettertothe editor"- instructionswill usuallycome up.
2.5. Most submissionformswill askforthe author'sname and contact information.
2.6. If the newspaperrequestsaphotograph,please provide themwithyourofficialoffice
photo.
3. Respondconsistentlyto media requests. If membersof the mediaaskforyour positionon
legalizingmedicalmarijuana,pleaseuse the MediaStatementincludedinthistoolkit.If there are
furtherquestions,pleasereferthe reporterstothe FPCA.

3. Medical Marijuana: Bad for Your Community
Media Statement
The Florida PoliceChiefs Association strongly opposes any and all proposalsthatwould legalizeor decriminalize
the sale,possession or useof marijuana.Our top priority is the safety of our citizens and communities. We are
concerned that without clear guidelines for enforcement or even appropriateregulation,this amendment may
create more problems than itintends to alleviate.
Media Statement on Charlotte’s Web
(Use only if specifically asked)
The Florida PoliceChiefs Association supported the passageof the CompassionateMedical CannabisActbecause
the Legislatureprovided instructionsfor regulation and enforcement, and becausethe bill so narrowly tailorsthe
circumstances in which this non-euphoric cannabisextractcan be used to treat specific diseases.
Letter to the Editor
(word count: 243)
As the Chief of Policefor XX CITY, I join the Florida PoliceChiefs Association in its strongopposition to the currently
proposed constitutional amendment that would legalizeor decriminalizethe sale,possession or useof marijuana.
I believe the amendment places the safety of our citizens and our community in XX CITY in jeopardy. After
marijuana was legalized in Colorado,several fourth-graders were disciplined for sellingand swappingmarijuana
legally purchased by family members. The students were tradingand sellingthe marijuana attheir elementary
school.Studies have also shown that marijuana playsa significantrolein car accidents.
I am also gravely concerned that medical marijuanawill havea negative impacton our business community. In
other states, storefront marijuana dispensaries havebecome magnets for crime, and other commercial businesses
do not want to be located in the vicinity of the dispensaries. Accordingto statistics from Denver, the city recorded
7,000 reported crimes within 1,000 feet of its medical marijuana dispensaries in thefirstsix months of 2012 and
2013.
Additionally,permittingestablishments to sell marijuanafor medical treatment purposes may impact nearby
residential property sales.Data from Colorado indicates homeowners are tryingmoving away from regions where
marijuana hasbeen legalized,and home sales aredropping.
Without clear guidelines for enforcement or even appropriateregulation,this amendment may create more
problems than it intends to alleviate.I encourage our business community,families and homeowners to vote
againstthis proposed amendment.

4. Medical Marijuana: Bad for Your Community
Fact Sheet
1. Regardlessof any state laws, recreational marijuana use is still illegal onthe federal level.
 The Federal DrugEnforcementAdministrationhasclassifiedmarijuanaasa Schedule 1
controlledsubstance becauseof itshighpotentialforabuse andthe fact that there isno
currentlyacceptednational standardforuse asa medical treatment.
2. The expansionofmarijuana use has a negative impact on surroundingbusinesscommunities.
 Marijuanause and criminal involvement(otherthandruguse) are highlyrelated.1
 Medical marijuanais oftensoldbystorefrontdispensaries,notinmedicallycontrolled
circumstances,andisnot monitoredbyphysicians.Inotherstates,the storefrontdispensaries
have become magnetsforcrime andincrease law enforcementcosts.2
 Commonbyproducts relatedtodispensariesincludedrugdealing,salestominors,loitering,
heavyvehicle andfoottrafficinretail areas,increasednoise,robberiesof customersnearthe
facilities andthe lossof othercommercial businesses thatdonot wantto be locatedinthe
vicinityof marijuanadispensaries. 3
 Accordingto statisticsprovidedbythe city’sDepartmentof Safety,Denverrecorded7,000
reportedcrimeswithin1,000 feetof dispensariesinthe firstsix monthsof both2012 and 2013.4
 A studyfoundemployeeswhotestedpositiveformarijuanahave 55 percentmore industrial
accidentsand85 percentmore injuriesthannon-users,and78 percenthave higherabsentee
ratesthan non-users.5
 Drug-usingemployeeshave beenshowntohave upto 300 percenthighermedical costs,which
increase insurance ratesforemployersandemployees.6
1 Source: Kerry M. Green, Elaine E. Doherty,ElizabethA. Stuart,MargaretE. Ensminger, Does heavy adolescent marijuana use lead tocriminal involvement
in adulthood? Evidence froma multiwave longitudinalstudy ofurbanAfrican Americans, Drug and AlcoholDependence,Volume 112, Issues 1–2,1
November 2010, Pages 117-125, ISSN 0376-8716, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2010.05.018.
2 Source: www.rethinkpot.org
3 Source: www.rethinkpot.org
4 Source: www.denvergov.org/Safety
5 Drug Free America, Source: http://dfaf.org/assets/docs/What_to_say_about_marijuana_and_the_workplace.pdf
6 Source: SmithKline Beecham Healthcare Services. “Substance Abuse inthe Workplace II.” Balanced Health Report. 12-96. Vol.4.,No. 3

5. 3. Permittingestablishmentstosell marijuana for medical treatment purposesmay impact
residential andcommercial property values.
 Colorado’sNorthwestRegion,where salesof marijuana are permittedinsome counties,hada
fifthconsecutivequarterof increasednew listingsoverpreviousyears,meaningmore people
are tryingto move awayfromthe region.The region’ssalesdroppedtwopercent,one of only
tworegionsinthe state showing adecline7
,indicatingfewerpeople wanttopurchase homesin
the area.
 People are movingfromColorado’sMetroRegiontocountiesinotherregionssuchasthe
Northeast,where recreational salesof marijuanaare prohibited;salesof homes inthe
NortheastRegionhave increased19 percent.8
4. Expanding the use ofmarijuana, evenfor medical treatmentpurposes,may still have negative
impacts on the healthand safetyof the community.
 AftermarijuanawaslegalizedinColorado,several fourth-graderswere disciplinedforsellingand
swappingmarijuanalegallypurchasedbyfamilymembers.The studentswere tradingandselling
the marijuanaat theirelementaryschool.9
 There are more than 120 ER visitsrelatedtomarijuanause forevery100,000 people inthe
UnitedStates.10
 Studieshave shownthatmarijuanaplaysasignificantrole incaraccidents.11
 Between2006 and 2010, the ColoradoDepartmentof HighwaySafetyreportedthatatleast183
people were killedbydriverswhotestedpositive forcannabis,afterColoradolegalized
marijuanaformedicinal purposes.12
7
Source: ColoradoREALTORS/ Home Statistics 2013,http://www.coloradorealtors.com/will-recreational-marijuana-affect-real-estate/
8 Source: Colorado REALTORS/ Home Statistics 2013 http://www.coloradorealtors.com/will-recreational-marijuana-affect-real-estate/
9 Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/04/24/colorado-fourth-graders-sell-and-swap-grandparents-pot-at-school/
10 Source: Michael Archambault, Elizabeth McNeilly,PatRoe, Benefit-Cost Analysis ofInitiative 502: LegalizationofMarijuanainWashington, University of
Washington Research
11 Source: The Impact of Marijuana onSociety 2005, September 2002
12 Source: http://www.coloradodot.info/programs/alcohol-and-impaired-driving/druggeddriving/drugged-driving-statistics.html