Medical marijuana is on Florida’s ballot again this November, and the campaign to legalize it has received far more donations than weed opponents.
United For Care, the campaign fighting for legalization of medical marijuana in Florida, has received nearly 650 times as many donations as its counterpart, Drug Free Florida, reports Sunshine State News Sunday.
United For Care has received more than 7,000 donations, as compared to Drug Free Florida’s 11. To date, United For Care has raised $9.7 million while Drug Free Florida has raised $8.1 million, according to the Florida Department of State Division of Elections.
United For Care generally receives small donations of $5 to $50, whereas Drug Free Florida has the backing of those whose pockets are much deeper. For instance, the heiress to the Publix supermarket fortune recently donated $800,000 to Drug Free Florida, while Mel Sembler, a real estate developer who also builds Publix supermarkets, has donated $1 million since May.
Unlike other states like California, which have generally lax rules on who can receive medical marijuana, the Florida law would set strict parameters for who can obtain a prescription. If passed, only those suffering “debilitating” medical conditions like cancer, epilepsy, glaucoma and HIV/AIDS could get medical marijuana. The law would allow physicians some room to write prescriptions for other ailments, so long as the benefits outweigh the risks.
A poll conducted in July by Anzalone Liszt Research and published by Florida Politics found that 77 percent of Floridians favor the legalization of medical marijuana, – an 8 percent increase from a poll conducted in 2014, when Floridians also voted on legalization. The 2014 vote fell two points shy of the needed 60 percent threshold.
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Full Article: Florida Pot Campaigners Have Received 650 Times More Donations Than Opponents
Author: Craig Boudreau
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