Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster
The group backing the effort to legalize medical marijuana raised more than $90,000 in February.
People United for Medical Marijuana raised $90,323 in February, according to campaign finance reports filed with the Division of Elections. Top donors during the one-month fundraising period included Complete Hydroponics, a Miami hydroponics store and fertilizer company, which gave $4,000 and Tampa-based Florida Agricultural Sciences, which gave $15,000.
The organization spent $68,000 during February.
The group has raised more than $3.5 million since January 2015. Records show that since 2009, the committee has raised nearly $9.4 million.
Supporters of Amendment 2 are hoping the 2016 amendment will fare better. A recent Public Policy Polling survey found 65 percent of voters said they supported the medical marijuana amendment.
As Floridians went out to the polls on Tuesday, United for Care emailed supporters reminding them that they’ll be voting on medical marijuana in just a few months. The fundraising email asked supporters to help build the coffers “in case a certain out of state billionaire gets involved again.”
“Today may be election day, but it is not OUR election day. For that, we have 238 days to go,” said Ben Pollara, the United for Care campaign manager, said in an email. “I’m long past hope that the issue of medical marijuana can be solved by politicians. And at a state level, Tallahassee has failed us time and time again. This last session only underscored how the legislature simply won’t get this done.”
The Florida Legislature passed an expansion of medical marijuana during its 60-day legislative session. The bill expands medical marijuana to terminally ill Floridians.
Amendment 2 would allow people with debilitating conditions to use marijuana for medicinal purposes. A similar proposal on the 2014 ballot received 58 percent of the vote, just shy of the 60 percent needed to become law.
