Jim Rosica
The John Morgan-backed drive to get a proposed constitutional amendment allowing medical pot on the 2016 ballot has competition.
Two other ballot initiatives were filed last month, state records show, including one that – surprise – would allow recreational use of pot.
The other would reclassify cannabis “as a dietary supplement” and tax its sale at 10 percent, with the proceeds going to augment teacher salaries. It would allow pot possession of up to 4 ounces.
Neither initiative has reported any valid signatures so far, according to the state’s Division of Elections website.
Ben Pollara, head of Orlando-based People United for Medical Marijuana, said his petition drive has collected about 350,000 signatures so far.
An initiative needs 683,149 verified signatures to get placed on the ballot; medical marijuana got more than a million signatures overall last time.
More importantly, he said he’s nearing the magic number of roughly 68,000 valid signatures needed for Supreme Court review and approval.
“That’ll be a pretty decent milestone once we hit that,” Pollara said. “People were pretty excited to sign our petition two years ago, and they are now.”
This is the second time around for Pollara and trial attorney Morgan, the godfather of the medical marijuana movement in Florida. Last year, Morgan gave more than $4 million to the drive.
Faced with well-heeled opposition in the form of Las Vegas casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, the amendment last year fell 3 points short of the 60 percent needed for it to be added to the state constitution.
Pollara has said the new language clarifies issues related to parental consent and the kinds of conditions that would qualify use of marijuana with a doctor’s recommendation.
With about 14 months to Election Day, Pollara said organized opposition to the amendment hasn’t formed – yet.
“Adelson can drop a $10 million check any time he wants,” he said.
Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia allow medical marijuana under state law, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, but selling marijuana is still a federal crime.
