An Orlando woman announced today that she’s launching an effort to let voters to decide whether to include medical marijuana laws in the state constitution. She’s planning to put the question on the 2010 ballot.

Kim Russell, a 3rd generation Floridian, said she’s making the push because her father suffers from Parkinson’s disease and believes he could avoid brain surgery with medical marijuana. She said she’s collecting signatures and money, but has not yet received help from any national groups or financiers.

The most recent state to approve medical marijuana laws was Michigan, where 63 percent voters approved a ballot initiative in November. Of the 12 other states with medical marijuana laws, eight stemmed from ballot initiatives; four were enacted by state legislatures, according to the Associated Press.

Russell’s group, People United For Medical Marijuana (PUFMM), has their proposed initiative here.