Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Janelle Irwin TaylorApril 16, 2015

When does voting really matter? For all of the super-voters out there, the answer is, “It always does.” But for those not so attuned with voting in every election, here’s a more compelling reason. If all of the voters who had signed a petition supporting placing Florida’s Amendment 2 medical marijuana initiative on the 2014 […]

Melissa RossFebruary 13, 2015

Just months after failing to pass a ballot amendment, advocates of legalizing medical marijuana in Florida are regrouping to try again. A new bill was filed Tuesday in the Florida House that wouldn’t allow smokable medical marijuana. At the same time, Republican State Sen. Jeff Brandes of St. Petersburg is behind a measure that would […]

Guest AuthorDecember 7, 2014

In November, Amendment 2, which would have allowed the use of medical marijuana in Florida, garnered just under 58 percent support. It needed 60 percent to pass. While falling short of passage, medical marijuana received a larger share of the vote than has decided the previous eight gubernatorial elections in Florida. The proposal got more […]

Guest AuthorNovember 12, 2014

It is now time to stop calling the effort to legalize medical marijuana “Support Amendment 2.” That amendment to Florida’s Constitution failed, barely. Much has been written about the failure of Amendment 2, the very large personalities that debated and funded both sides, and how the amendment didn’t meet the 60 percent threshold but received […]

Guest AuthorNovember 10, 2014

When I debated Barney Bishop a few weeks ago in Miami, he claimed that he had “smoked more marijuana than everyone in the crowd – combined.” Well, he must have fried his brain doing so, because he can’t even put together a coherent thought in a “victory lap” piece like the one published on “Politics […]

Guest AuthorNovember 6, 2014

Now that Amendment 2 on medical marijuana has been defeated and relegated to the trash pile of poorly worded constitutional amendments, we can all breathe a sigh of relief. Well, not really. You see, John Morgan, the lawyer who spearheaded the drive to adopt Amendment 2, can’t stay silent even for a nano-minute. It’s just […]

Guest AuthorNovember 2, 2014

Much as my kids hated me doing it, I decided to talk to my daughters’ friends about their views on Amendment 2. My youngest daughter is a sophomore in high school and my middle one is a college freshman, so talking to their friends gave me a sample of ages and views. My kids pride […]

Peter SchorschOctober 30, 2014

Come next Tuesday (or maybe early Wednesday morning), we will know who is left standing in the Florida’s governor’s race. We will know whether the three incumbent members of the Cabinet have been re-elected. We’ll know whether it’s legal to smoke medical marijuana. Come Election Day, we’ll know a lot more than we do right now. […]

Guest AuthorOctober 24, 2014

This past year has been a real learning curve on the whole topic of medical marijuana. Thanks to a good friend of mine, who is a respected physician, I learned there really are some valid and legitimate medical uses for marijuana. Prior to this, I thought most of the medical marijuana talk was just an […]

Guest AuthorOctober 21, 2014

Rubble. Fife. The Dinosaur. Bishop. What do these Barneys have in common? None of them live in reality. Barney Bishop’s most recent hyperventilation published on Context Florida about Amendment 2 — which would allow medical marijuana in Florida — both repeated some of his previous made-up contentions and introduced some new ones. Again, Bishop ignores […]

Tag: Amendment 2
Crowds gather to see Atlantis at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. (Gabrielle Russon)

If votes had equaled petitions, medical marijuana would have passed

South Florida company says its success in Washington proves marijuana-use law can work here

Ben Pollara: If Legislature fails, Amendment 2 will be back on ballot in 2016

Jamie Miller: GOP Legislature should pass a sensible medical marijuana bill

Ben Pollara: The battle to legalize medical marijuana moves to the Legislature

Barney Bishop: Some unsolicited advice for Amendment 2 crusader John Morgan

Gary Stein: Young people understand the complexities of Amendment 2

Peter Schorsch: An early assessment of who to blame if certain campaigns lose on Tuesday

John Stemberger:  Why I am for medical marijuana but against  Amendment 2

Ben Pollara: I may be naive, but I’m certain Floridians would benefit from medical pot