Lakeland – Advocates for medical marijuana are planning a demonstration Saturday at the Lakeland headquarters of Publix Super Markets to protest a contribution from Publix heiress Carol Jenkins Barnett to the anti-Amendment 2 campaign.
A Facebook event created last week and called “Protest Publix” had attracted responses of “interested” from 319 people as of Monday morning. The demonstration is scheduled for Saturday from noon to 2 p.m. at the Publix headquarters at 3300 Publix Corporate Parkway in northwest Lakeland.
The Carol Jenkins Barnett Family Trust gave $800,000 in July to the Drug Free Florida Committee, the organization leading opposition to Amendment 2. That proposal, which will appear on the statewide ballot for the Nov. 8 general election, would legalize the use of marijuana to treat certain conditions.
Barnett, a Lakeland resident, is the daughter of George W. Jenkins, founder of Publix Super Markets. She is chairwoman and president of Publix Super Markets Charities and served until recently on the board of directors of Publix Super Markets. The company announced in June that Barnett has been diagnosed with younger-onset Alzheimer’s disease.
Barnett’s husband, Barney Barnett, is vice chairman of Publix Super Markets.
Amendment 2 is a revised version of a measure that fell short of the 60-percent approval threshold in 2014. Barnett’s family trust made three donations to Drug Free Florida totaling $540,000 during the 2014 campaign.
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Full Article: Medical Marijuana Advocates Plan Protest At Publix HQ Over Barnett Family Donation
Author: Gary White
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