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Fla. Medical Marijuana Supporters Face Tight Deadline

TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/AP) — The clock is ticking for supporters of medical marijuana in Florida.

The Supreme Court isn't the only challenge facing supporters of a proposed medical marijuana constitutional amendment on the 2014 ballot.

Organizers have until Feb. 1 to gather 683,189 voter signatures. As of Tuesday, 162,866 signatures had been certified.

Attorney John Morgan says more than 600,000 petitions have been gathered. Now it's a matter of having those signatures verified and building a cushion to account for invalid signatures.

Morgan says it will be a tight finish. He already has invested about $2 million into the effort.

Even if he gets the signatures, Morgan still has to worry about whether the Supreme Court approves ballot summary language that could let voters decide whether to allow marijuana use for medical reasons. Attorney General Pam Bondi is challenging the wording.

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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