A Majority Of Florida Voters Support Legalizing Recreational Marijuana

[dddaver]

There was an injunction filed in September that halted Charlotte's Web in Florida. So as far as I know, even though SB1030 was signed by Scott in April, NO ONE, not one sick baby, no one, in Florida has ever been able to get any legal cannabis medicine. I might be wrong about that. If so, please enlighten me.

So the important thing here really, IMHO anyway, is that if Amd 2 passes, that CANNOT happen. It is a change to the Florida constitution.

Let the politicos screw up all they want. They will do that no matter how the vote goes. But let's let the sick babies, and all the others that might be helped, have the medicine they need. Vote yes for Amd 2.

 

[The Doktor]

Even though weed can ease some issues, lets not fool ourselves into thinking this is just about medicine for the babies.

 

[dddaver]

Even though weed can ease some issues, lets not fool ourselves into thinking this is just about medicine for the babies.

So doc, are you implying I'm trying to fool someone? Or are you saying I'm lying? Or are you just trying to complicate and cloud this issue even more than it already is?

I didn't say just for babies, I also said "and others". Reread maybe? Thanks for your helpful input.

But anyway, that's EXACTLY what this is about. And only the naysayers want you to think different. And all while people suffering that CAN and should be helped, aren't.

 

[Catatafish]

Dude there is shitloads of people and problems it helps. Think what you want. I didnt really believe it myself until i started seeing some different problems and shitty alternative solutions.

DDaver, i didnt hear of any halts on sb1030, but i do know there are few who were suing over it due to how limited it is. Essentially qualified people cant open nurseries and such due to the ridiculous requirements and they were suing as its essentially hand out to political buddies. Saw it on the news one night awhile back, there was a lady in particular they were interviewing.

 

[RetroGrow]

I have been talking to young people in the street. It's shocking how many of them have no idea there's even an election, let alone a medical cannabis bill. They smoke weed, but know nothing about the election. This is what happened two years ago in California. The recreational bill was defeated, because the young demographic didn't vote. I believe only 25% of twenty-somethings voted. I see the same thing happening here. Conversely, the old people vote almost to a man, so even if we outnumber them, they outvote us. Kind of pathetic. I have talked to a lot of young people, and told them to tell all their friends to vote "yes", but who knows if they are even registered. They are more involved in so called "social media" than voting for their own futures, as they stare at their I-phones, and text one another. Now, if there was voting by text......

 

[Morcheeba*]

sb 1030 had another public hearing (i think a judicial review) within the last 30 days and it was stated that after no more changes to the law it could go into effect within a few weeks.

the qualified nurseries still need to apply / acquire low THC Cannabis / veg them large enough to have a suitable size harvest / build out an extraction/packaging facility........and this takes into consideration that the lucky nurseries are not needing any infrastructure build out so good luck getting legal meds anytime soon and thats sad for those not capable of waiting.

the only way i see to cheat time would be to do as the strawberry farmers do.....bring in tractor-trailer loads of vegged plants by the 10,000 and get started on a SOG but to my knowledge there is no way to legally transport Cannabis across state lines.


peace

 

[stihgnobevoli]

i was driving around an orange producing town the other day and i see a huge field empty, just been set up with irrigation lines and rows and rows of premade planting beds.

i don't know much bout the orange game but is this the time of year to start growing Oranges or are they maybe preparing for nov 5tH?

 

[Morcheeba*]

strawberries would be my guess but im not a farmer.


peace

 

[Drift13]

The wife and I just cam back from voting. Two more YES votes for Amd. 2!!

 

[stihgnobevoli]

strawberries would be my guess but im not a farmer.


peace

nah strawberries is a spring thing, need lots of light. i'm not a farmer but i have had strawberries in my backyard back when i lived in another town and they don't come up till june.

 

[Morcheeba*]

stihg,

i guess it would depend on your location.

in Plant City and surrounding areas strawberries are currently getting planted and they harvest multiple times before the end of the season but regardless of the crop the field is being prepped for that you saw its unlikely its getting ready for Amendment 2 to pass b/c it will take many months to draft and revise the regulations for Amendment 2 before it goes into effect.

maybe they will use the land to cultivate cannabis if its allowed to grow in fields or hoop houses but i bet they require all growing to be done in a solid walled/roof structure like a warehouse or glasshouse but time will tell.


peace

 

[Tudo]

Meanwhile, the so-called "opposition" cannot even fund it's own opposition within the state of Fla. Nope, these inbred scumbag commie/fascists have to rely on another scumbag, this one from Nevada who owns casino's around the world.This is the gop's rendition of job creation. Military to suck the economic life out of the US while murdering mostly poor people in poor countries and casino's and Mafioso who whack off yet another piece of the middle class while turning who knows how many into the type of virtual slavery these places are known for.

85 fking per cent of the so called "oppositions" budget has come from this out of state lowlife piece of steaming shit. 85% and if you were a "journalist", or at least a journalist with integrity to do the right thing wouldn't you at least try to get this information into the hands of as many people as possible so that everyone knows what a fking farce this is and how freaking corrupt it is? If it wasn't for this steaming piece of dog shit in las vegas the "opposition" to legalizing cannabis, forget about just medical but outright legalization couldn't even muster the money to oppose it! What total fking lowlife's and scumbags.

Not only that but in order to pass, a simple fking majority isn't enough in this inbred wonderland. This one requires a 60% majority. Anyone ever heard of that? Yup, you should have seen what we had to do years ago to get Harry Browne, libertarian candidate for president on the ballot in Fla. Unreal. Like being in a communist stronghold. We did it and we in fact got Harry on the ballot in all 50 states, the ONLY TIME EVER in the history of the "land of the free" was a 3rd party candidate actually on the ballot in all 50 states and STILL we weren't even allowed into the presidential debates.

Here: In Florida, conservative Las Vegas casino billionaire Sheldon Adelson has dumped at least $5 million into sinking Amendment 2 — 85 percent of the "no" campaign budget — and most recent polls show it falling short of the 60 percent threshold it needs to become law. (The Broward/Palm Beach New Times is still bullish on Amendment 2, touting a new poll showing 61 percent support.) ( http://theweek.com/article/index/27...ation-is-threatened-by-a-gop-midterm-wave-too )

The broward/palm beach new times would be wonderful, that is if they actually got out and voted. Ron Paul didn't even campaign in Fla, it was a loser right from jump street. Anyone see the gop's military police in Tampa?

Here's the "sunshine state" during a "free election of a free people"

Now on the other hand if we win this, even though it seems to be a small step or even a no step to some of you all, believe me this one will be big enough to change EVERY place in the south as well as every place that sends it's tourists who buy real estate etc in Fla and that includes Canadians, British, EVERYBODY.


Better get into some property as soon as you can if it passes next week. Go! Go! Go!

Forgive me please for my out of the ordinary rant. I really don't like anyone who opposes everyones access to this incredible gift that was given to us for so many reasons. I love everyone who is trying to get us just that little bit more of Freedom by making this wonderful plant legal everywhere. I'm old, tired and in rough shape but count me in to do my part!

 

[Morcheeba*]

Tudo,

a friend asked me yesterday what my feeling were on Amendment 2 passing and i think it will narrowly fail, ~57% in favor. its the out of state money funding false and misleading commercials compounded on a very stupid electorate. we elected a gov. who everyone knew was shady as hell at best and a crook most likely so its not too hard to mislead those voters into believing Amendment 2 is a smokescreen.

the friend that ask me this uses Cannabis for neuropathic pain and his wife and mother both voted against it and its the false ads that are on at every commercial break that lead them to think its not a med bill. i told him that their vote of NO was a YES vote for him to face criminal charges for using Cannabis as medicine opposed to the opiates.

i really hope the undecided voters are able to see through the false ads and Amendment 2 gets over 60%.


peace

 

[stihgnobevoli]

most of the people i meet in this state aren't even from here. i think this state is more progressive than the media will have you believe. i think it will be close but it will pass.

 

[Tudo]

Tudo,

a friend asked me yesterday what my feeling were on Amendment 2 passing and i think it will narrowly fail, ~57% in favor. its the out of state money funding false and misleading commercials compounded on a very stupid electorate. we elected a gov. who everyone knew was shady as hell at best and a crook most likely so its not too hard to mislead those voters into believing Amendment 2 is a smokescreen.

the friend that ask me this uses Cannabis for neuropathic pain and his wife and mother both voted against it and its the false ads that are on at every commercial break that lead them to think its not a med bill. i told him that their vote of NO was a YES vote for him to face criminal charges for using Cannabis as medicine opposed to the opiates.

i really hope the undecided voters are able to see through the false ads and Amendment 2 gets over 60%.


peace

Hypothetically speaking my wife and I go to a local salon that's really a place for the oldsters to hang out and talk and for haircuts. This is old school.

The owner who is in her 70's collected several HUNDRED petitions.

If they count the votes it'll pass.

 

[Tudo]

Marijuana could be spoiler in Fla. governor's race

In this Oct. 8, 2014 photo, an individual displays their support for marijuana reform, during a debate in Boca Raton, Fla. The debate over legalizing medical marijuana in Florida constantly generates talk of young people potentially flooding the polls. But seniors are the most reliable voters and could be key to the measure’s success. Though polling on Amendment 2 has been erratic, seniors have been showing a level of interest in the initiative that underscores the fact they may benefit most from its passage. “You get older, you get sick, you start getting diseases, your bones stop working as well as they used to and you're presented with this pharmacopoeia of different drugs that you have to take just to get through the day,” said Ben Pollara, who leads United for Care, the pro-Amendment 2 campaign.J Pat Carter/AP Photo
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WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. Florida's race for governor has focused on the candidates' integrity and their credit or blame for the economy. But an issue seldom mentioned on the campaign trail could play the spoiler in the razor-thin contest.
Medical marijuana, up for legalization under the Amendment 2 initiative, is supported by Democrat Charlie Crist and opposed by Republican Rick Scott. Though neither candidate has made the issue a campaign centerpiece, its presence on the ballot could help decide who takes the governor's mansion.
"I don't think that there's anyone out there that doesn't think this race isn't going to be won or lost by a couple of percentage points," said Erik Williams, a longtime Democratic political consultant who now coordinates government relations for beMindful, which operates marijuana dispensaries in Colorado. "Driving turnout on an issue such as this it absolutely could play a major role in determining who's the next governor."
Experts disagree on how much a ballot question such as Amendment 2 increases turnout, but most agree Crist will get any extra votes. Medical marijuana has wide support nationally and, unlike other social issues that often show up in ballot initiatives like abortion or gay marriage, it is less likely to drive opponents to the polls solely to voice their disapproval.
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<NOSCRIPT></NOSCRIPT>In this Oct. 8, 2014 photo, Tabitha Winslow, stands outside the traveling bus, showing her support for marijuana reform laws during a rally in Boca Raton, Fla. The debate over legalizing medical marijuana in Florida constantly generates talk of young people potentially flooding the polls. But seniors are the most reliable voters and could be key to the measure’s success. Though polling on Amendment 2 has been erratic, seniors have been showing a level of interest in the initiative that underscores the fact they may benefit most from its passage. | J Pat Carter/AP Photo

<NOSCRIPT></NOSCRIPT>In this Oct. 8, 2014 photo, Beth Ann Krug, 61, of Del Ray Beach, Fla., speaks during a debate on medical marijuana in Boca Raton, Fla. Krug, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease, found relief from her symptoms during a recent trip to Colorado to see if marijuana would help. She has not used the drug since, because she refuses to get it illegally and worries her full-time volunteer position would be jeopardized because they do drug testing. | J Pat Carter/AP Photo

<NOSCRIPT></NOSCRIPT>In this Oct. 8, 2014 photo, David Tilbury listens to a debate on medical marijuana in Boca Raton, Fla. He believes that marijuana will help his physical problems. The debate over legalizing medical marijuana in Florida constantly generates talk of young people potentially flooding the polls. But seniors are the most reliable voters and could be key to the measure’s success. | J Pat Carter/AP Photo

<NOSCRIPT></NOSCRIPT>In this Oct. 8, 2014 photo, Beth Ann Krug, 61, of Del Ray Beach, Fla., listens to a debate on medical marijuana in Boca Raton, Fla Krug, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease, found relief from her symptoms during a recent trip to Colorado to see if marijuana would help. She has not used the drug since, because she refuses to get it illegally and worries her full-time volunteer position would be jeopardized because they do drug testing. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter) | J Pat Carter/AP Photo

<NOSCRIPT></NOSCRIPT>In this Oct. 8, 2014 photo, Ben Pollara, who leads United for Care, the pro-2 amendment, debates the use of medical marijuana in Boca Raton, Fla. during a rally. The debate over legalizing medical marijuana in Florida constantly generates talk of young people potentially flooding the polls. But seniors are the most reliable voters and could be key to the measure’s success.



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</SECTION></ASIDE>"With marijuana, there's no backlash. There aren't people that turn out to vote just to vote against it," said Celinda Lake, a pollster who has conducted surveys on marijuana ballot measures.
Amendment 2 requires 60 percent approval to pass. Polls have consistently shown Democrats and younger voters showing more support for it than Republicans and older voters.
Voters in Alaska, Oregon and the District of Columbia also have marijuana questions before them — to legalize recreational use — but Florida's initiative has attracted more money and attention. Outside Florida, the race for Senate in Alaska is the closest, most high-profile race, but it seems much less likely to be affected by the marijuana vote because neither candidate has endorsed it.
Mason Tvert of the Marijuana Policy Project downplayed the role marijuana initiatives play in political races, but conceded in very close races like Florida's, it could be the decider. Still, Tvert said ballot questions don't inherently benefit Democrats unless a candidate has vocally supported it.
"A race that's coming down to just thousands or even hundreds of votes, it could play a big role," he said.
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Earlier this year, Scott signed legislation legalizing a single strain of low-potency medical marijuana known as Charlotte's Web, but he has spoken against the broader initiative.
"I've watched family members deal with drug abuse, so it scares the living daylights out of me," Scott said when questioned about it at a debate earlier this month.
John Morgan, an Orlando-based personal injury attorney, chairs United for Care, the pro-Amendment 2 campaign. But because he's also a supporter, and employer, of Crist, it has raised suspicions among some voters about the amendment's true purpose. Crist says he supports the measure "out of compassion" for the suffering, but also suggests it could help him politically.
"I'm going to vote for it. My opponent does not support it and that may be a big difference maker, especially to younger voters, but I think also to seniors," he told The Associated Press.
Still, even in Colorado, where marijuana has been on statewide ballots three times since 2000, the wider political impact of such initiatives isn't clear.
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President Barack Obama won the state in 2012, but with less support than the marijuana initiative, meaning some in the pro-pot camp cast ballots for the Republican candidate, Mitt Romney. Meanwhile, exit polls showed more young voters there than four years earlier, when marijuana wasn't on ballots.
Some remain convinced, though, that the increased turnout had a spillover effect.

"Of course it played a role," said Rick Enstrom, a Republican who lost a state House race by about 1,500 votes. "It energized a portion of the voting populace that does not ordinarily vote. I think it helped motivate the college students, and I think that's partially what it was designed to do." http://www.miamiherald.com/living/health-fitness/article3488622.html

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/living/health-fitness/article3488622.html#storylink=cpy​

 

[bigAl25]

Hey Florida, I hope the medical cannabis bill does pass.

 

[RetroGrow]

Unfortunately, I don't see any chance of this passing in Florida. Evangelical Christians, older people, Conservatives, all will vote against. It remains to be seen if young people even vote. Massive propaganda adds on T.V. spreading the fear to the uninformed. Billionaire casino moguls spending millions to fight it. Just don't see anywhere near 60% supporting.

 

[Ponce deleon]

Unfortunately, I don't see any chance of this passing in Florida. Evangelical Christians, older people, Conservatives, all will vote against. It remains to be seen if young people even vote. Massive propaganda adds on T.V. spreading the fear to the uninformed. Billionaire casino moguls spending millions to fight it. Just don't see anywhere near 60% supporting.

Who knows bud, I'm 2/3 of those terms you listed and me and a bunch of my friends voted for Amendment 2, but I also know plenty of the "concerned parents" and senior citizen crowd from church will vote against it. Nevertheless, I believe the large contingent of older veteran s in Florida will be for Amendment 2, so it just depends on which demographics show up the to polls or cast in their absentee ballots in masse this election.

 

[Tudo]

John Morgan vows to try again if Florida's medical marijuana amendment fails

John Morgan vows to try again if Florida's medical marijuana amendment fails

does he already know the results?

John Morgan vows to try again if Florida's medical marijuana amendment fails
Friday, October 31, 2014 6:06pm
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• 
  

John Morgan says his organization anticipates Amendment 2 earning a slight victory on Tuesday, but that if he loses the battle he can win the war.


Florida medical marijuana honcho John Morgan hopes for a victory on Amendment 2 when polls close on Tuesday. But a loss may not end the campaign, Morgan told the Tampa Bay Times on Friday. As long as the vote is close to the required 60 percent approval threshold, Morgan said, he will try again in 2016.
<IFRAME id=google_ads_iframe_/4605/tampabay.com/news_politics_elections_story_3__hidden__ style="BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; DISPLAY: none; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; VISIBILITY: hidden; border-image: none" height=0 marginHeight=0 src="javascript:"<html><body style='background:transparent'></body></html>"" frameBorder=0 width=0 name=google_ads_iframe_/4605/tampabay.com/news_politics_elections_story_3__hidden__ marginWidth=0 scrolling=no></IFRAME> "I plan to win this,'' he said, saying his internal polls show it winning by a thin margin. "But if I lose a battle, I can damn sure still win the war.''
Most of the $5 million or so that Morgan or his Orlando law firm spent on the amendment campaign went toward collecting more than 700,000 signatures to put the question on the 2014 general election ballot.
Until this week, Morgan said, he would not have considered another medical marijuana campaign.
"I had always told myself I wouldn't spend this kind of money again,'' Morgan said. But early this week, "I got to thinking I wouldn't have to. I have 900,000 signatures and addresses'' of people who signed the current petition. "I have 400,000 people who have communicated with us. This time I had to collect signatures in five months, next time I would have two years.''
Next time would also be a presidential year, which should energize the youth vote, Morgan said. Younger voters — the strongest advocates for medical marijuana — typically turn out in higher numbers during presidential elections.
"This would be a day in the park," he said.
Under Florida law, any group sponsoring a constitutional amendment designates a general election date, then must gather hundreds of thousands of signatures from registered voters to put it on the ballot. Then the Supreme Court must approve the ballot language.
To initiate another medical marijuana campaign, Morgan's United for Care organization would have to repeat those steps.
Under Amendment 2, doctors would certify that patients with debilitating conditions could benefit from marijuana. Licensed dispensaries would sell it.
Recent polling on the amendment has been mixed. A poll commissioned by the Tampa Bay Timesand other media partners this week put medical marijuana approval at only 46 percent. SurveyUSA, a national robo-calling firm, reported support this month in the 51 to 52 percent range.
But a University of North Florida poll taken a few weeks ago measured 67 percent approval and Morgan said his organization has been tracking approval at 61 to 62 percent for the past few weeks.
If the vote "comes in the low 50s or high 40s, I'll say, 'Okay, I'll never go down that road again,' '' Morgan said.
But if the vote is within a few points of the required 60 percent, he said, he will crank up again in January.
One decision would be whether to keep the present ballot language or alter it for strategic reasons, he said.
Opponents contend the qualifying conditions Amendment 2 describes are too loosely written. They say that minor ailments could be called "debilitating'' conditions by unscrupulous physicians and result in pot mills like the Florida prescription pill mills.
"Amendment 2 places no restrictions on the location of seedy pot shops,'' Vote No On 2 says on its website. "Look for 'pot docs' to spring up next to restaurants, schools, churches and supermarkets."
The Florida Supreme Court ruled in January that "debilitating" conditions would be of a serious nature similar to cancer, chronic pain and other specific conditions listed in the ballot language. But the pill mill argument still resonated with many voters.
Likewise, opponents took the amendment to task for protecting doctors against lawsuits or regulatory sanctions related to recommending pot — necessary because pot would remain illegal under federal law.
The court said that was a narrow protection covering only the act of recommending marijuana, and that doctors who also committed fraud or negligence could still be sanctioned.
Without such civil immunity, the court said, a medical marijuana system could not function.
Still, legal protections frequently put amendment supporters on the defensive. Morgan, a personal injury attorney whose firm sometimes sues physicians, joked Friday about the irony of defending legal protections for doctors.
"I've wanted to lift every immunity the Legislature has ever given them,'' he said.
Morgan said he would consult the amendment's author — University of Florida law professor Jon Mills — about any ballot language changes.
But maybe the amendment would be best left as is, Morgan said. The Supreme Court has already validated the ballot language and would be unlikely to reverse that ruling.
Another strategic issue is how the Legislature might react to another marijuana amendment campaign, he said. Just as the Legislature approved the use of a noneuphoric strain of pot known as Charlotte's Web for seizures this year, it might further widen the use of medical marijuana if faced with a 2016 amendment campaign, Morgan said.
Young voters turning out for medical pot would tend to favor the Democratic presidential candidate, Morgan said. Florida's Republican-dominated Legislature might try to defuse that by passing a medical marijuana law.
"There are two ways to win wars,'' Morgan said. "By atom bombs, or Trojan horses. As long as you win, it doesn't matter.''