Policy Networks and Medical Marijuana in Florida
This paper examines policy networks as a feature of democratic governance through the lens of Florida's medical marijuana debate, specifically regarding the low-THC cannabis strain known as "Charlotte's Web." The paper identifies the key actors and organizations involved — including parents of children with epilepsy, state legislators, and opposing bodies such as the Florida Medical Association — and analyzes how these groups form and interact within a policy network. Drawing on Jordan (1990) and Thatcher (1998), the paper argues that democratic governance shapes policy networks by empowering ordinary citizens, through voting and civic participation, to influence who occupies the most powerful legislative positions, ultimately determining the direction of public policy.
- Introduction: Policy Networks and Medical Marijuana: Florida's medical marijuana debate and Charlotte's Web
- Key Actors and Organizations in the Network: Advocates, legislators, and opposition groups identified
- Democratic Governance and Policy Network Operations: How voting shapes policy network influence
- The Relationship Between Democratic Governance and Policy Networks: Democratic governance enables and defines policy networks
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What makes this paper effective
- Grounds an abstract theoretical concept — policy networks — in a specific, timely real-world case (Florida's Charlotte's Web marijuana debate), making the argument concrete and accessible.
- Correctly identifies actors at multiple levels of the policy network, distinguishing between grassroots advocates (parents, family members) and formal institutional players (legislators, medical associations).
- Uses scholarly sources (Jordan, 1990; Thatcher, 1998) to anchor its definitions and interpretations, demonstrating awareness of the policy networks literature.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates applied theoretical analysis: it takes a political science framework (policy network theory) and maps it systematically onto a current policy issue. Rather than describing the issue descriptively, it uses the framework to explain why various actors participate and how their relationships function, which is the hallmark of policy analysis writing at the undergraduate level.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens by introducing the policy issue and its political context, then identifies and categorizes the network's actors and organizations, next analyzes how democratic governance shapes network operations, and closes with a synthesis of the proportional relationship between democratic governance and policy network formation. Each section builds logically on the previous one, moving from description to analysis to conclusion.
Introduction: Policy Networks and Medical Marijuana
The policy network issue examined in this paper pertains to the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes in the state of Florida. At the time of writing, the use of marijuana within the state was illegal regardless of purpose. There are staunch advocates against legalizing marijuana or any other controlled substance that may be used recreationally. The most prominent source of opposition came from then-Florida Governor Rick Scott — not surprising, given that policy networks frequently involve "local and national governments" (Thatcher, 1998, p. 389).
The issue of medical marijuana came to the attention of state legislators and government officials largely because of a strain known as "Charlotte's Web," which is exceedingly low in THC — the active ingredient responsible for the euphoric effects associated with cannabis — yet high in cannabidiol (CBD). Cannabidiol is known to counteract the effects of potentially deadly epileptic seizures, making this particular strain of significant medical interest to families of affected children.
Key Actors and Organizations in the Network
The most basic level of actors and organizations within this policy network consists of the advocates — specifically the parents of children who suffer from conditions involving epileptic seizures. Supporters of this initiative include not only parents and family members of affected children in Florida, but also the family of a young girl in Colorado named Charlotte, who was treated with this form of cannabis and saw her rate of seizures reduced from hundreds per week to just one per week (Klas, 2014). The fact that these advocates are ordinary citizens aligns with the recognition that policy is a "social construct" (Jordan, 1990, p. 319).
These parents and family members networked with key legislators on the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee, which heard testimony from the advocacy group and agreed to advance the issue to other legislators in order to develop a proposed committee bill aimed at decriminalizing this strain of marijuana. On the opposing side, actors and organizations include a number of state politicians — among them Governor Scott — as well as the Florida Medical Association, which has been instrumental in maintaining the prohibition of marijuana use within the state.
References
Jordan, G. (1990). Sub-governments, policy communities, and networks: Refilling the old bottles? Journal of Theoretical Politics, 2(3), 319–338.
Klas, M. E. (2014). Florida house to propose bill to legalize strain of marijuana for seizures. Miami Herald. Retrieved from http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/01/09/3861541/state-house-to-propose-bill-to.html
Thatcher, M. (1998). The development of policy network analyses. Journal of Theoretical Politics, 10(4), 389–416.
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