Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterMarch 7, 2016

The group backing a medical marijuana ballot initiative is calling out lawmakers for a proposal that provides relief to more patients. The Florida Senate voted 28-11 to approve a bill that expands the Right to Try Act to include medical marijuana. Under the proposal, the bill allows eligible patients — defined as someone with one […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterFebruary 11, 2016

The group backing the effort to legalize medical marijuana raised more than $100,000 in January, according to recently filed campaign finance reports. People United for Medical Marijuana raised $107,528 in January. The largest single donor during the one-month period was The Morgan Firm, which donated $72,634 to the organization. The Orlando firm is headed up […]

Drew WilsonFebruary 10, 2016

Republican Dean Asher’s January campaign finance report is in, but the Orlando Realtor’s numbers flatlined compared with former Democratic Rep. Mike Clelland’s first-month haul in the Senate District 13 race. Asher responded to Clelland’s $210,000 January with just $7,050 in contributions, offset by $3,700 in expenditures. His political committee, Allegiant Friends for Florida, opened the […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterFebruary 2, 2016

Medical marijuana is officially on the 2016 ballot. On Tuesday, Secretary of State Ken Detzner certified the medical marijuana initiative as Amendment 2 on the 2016 ballot. “It’s official: Medical marijuana is back on the ballot as Amendment 2,” said John Morgan, chairman of United for Care, in an email to supporters Tuesday. “The revised […]

Scott PowersJanuary 28, 2016

Now that they’re back on the ballot, Florida’s champions of medical marijuana expressed confidence Thursday that they have learned enough from their 2-point 2014 election defeat to win this November. On Wednesday United For Care received news it had successfully gathered more than 693,000 valid signatures and topped thresholds in 14 of Florida’s 27 congressional districts. […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterJanuary 28, 2016

The group leading the charge to oppose the medical marijuana constitutional amendment is vowing to defeat it come November. In an email, Tre’ Evers, a spokesman for No on 2, said the organization will “once again get the truth out to Florida voters with a campaign to defeat this deceptive and dangerous amendment.” “This so-called […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterJanuary 27, 2016

Voters will have another chance to vote on medical marijuana. According to United For Care, the group behind the effort to get a medical marijuana amendment on the 2016 ballot, the group has exceeded the number of valid signatures needed to get on the ballot. The issue will appear on the November ballot as Amendment […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterJanuary 12, 2016

People United for Medical Marijuana, the political committee backing a push to get medical marijuana on the 2016 ballot, raised more than $500,000 dollars in December. The committee, which runs the United for Care Campaign, raised $571,236 in December. That one-month haul means the organization has raised more than $9.1 million. The committee received hundreds […]

Jim RosicaDecember 10, 2015

A medical marijuana lobbyist said a half-dozen Florida nurseries that had applied but failed to become growers “are thinking seriously about protesting” the state’s license-award process. Taylor Patrick Biehl told FloridaPolitics.com on Thursday that he and fellow lobbyist Jeff Sharkey had “spoken with seven or eight nurseries and a variety of administrative lawyers about the protest possibilities, […]

Mitch PerryDecember 10, 2015

Wednesday night, organizers with the group Regulate Florida told supporters in a conference call that they’re ending their attempt to put a pro-legalization of marijuana on the ballot next year in Florida. FloridaPolitics.com was on that call, and posted the story soon after. In a statement sent shortly after that call was completed, Regulate Florida […]

Tag: John Morgan
Mike Johnson. Image via AP.

John Morgan calls medical marijuana expansion bill “typical Tallahassee window dressing”

Medical marijuana backers raise $107K in January

Dean Asher fundraising slows in January; Mike Clelland hauls big for first month in SD 13

Medical marijuana officially on 2016 ballot

John Morgan expects more allies, fewer opponents in 2nd pot amendment try

Email insights: “No on 2” officials confident Floridians will vote down medical pot in 2016

Medical marijuana amendment cleared for 2016 ballot

Committee backing medical marijuana amendment raises more than $500K in December

Nurseries gearing up for pot protests, lobbyist says

Mitch Perry Report for 12.10.15 – Recreational pot measure supporters back off 2016 ballot bid