Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterJanuary 25, 2016

Medical marijuana advocates said they are nearing the goal to get the issue on the ballot in 2016. In an email to supporters Monday, United for Care, the group behind the ballot effort, said the state’s supervisors of elections need to validate 45,823 petitions in order to hit the goal of 683,149 to get on […]

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 […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterJanuary 8, 2016

More patients could be allowed to use medical marijuana under recently filed legislation in the Florida Legislature. On Thursday, Rep. John Wood, a Winter Haven Republican, filed legislation, HB 1183, that could expand medical marijuana options beyond a narrow category of patients, including children with a rare form of epilepsy. Wood’s proposal would allow use […]

Drew WilsonNovember 11, 2015

The committee backing an amendment to legalize medical marijuana had another big fundraising month in October, largely on the back of its chairman, Orlando lawyer John Morgan. Morgan contributed $237,978 of the $337,292 raised last month by United for Care-People United for Medical Marijuana. Regular donor Barbara Stiefel wrote the committee another check for $40,000 […]

Gary FineoutNovember 9, 2015

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, who loudly opposed a medical marijuana measure that appeared on the 2014 ballot, is staying on the sidelines this time around. Bondi said she is still opposes the effort to legalize medical marijuana, but the state’s top legal officer is remaining silent on whether the Florida Supreme Court should block […]

Ryan RayOctober 8, 2015

John Morgan said Thursday that all donations in 2015 to his United for Care group, which is pushing for a constitutional amendment to legalize medical marijuana, will be personally matched by the millionaire attorney to the tune of nine to one. Morgan said in a prepared statement that his personal convictions will drive him to spare no […]

Jim RosicaOctober 7, 2015

Two Republican state lawmakers on Wednesday said they were filing legislation to allow stronger varieties of pot as medical marijuana in Florida. State Rep. Matt Gaetz of Fort Walton Beach and state Sen. Rob Bradley of Fleming Island announced the bill (HB 307/SB 360) at a morning press conference in the Capitol. Gaetz told reporters he joined other […]

Jim RosicaOctober 2, 2015

Attorney General Pam Bondi made it official on Friday, formally asking the Florida Supreme Court to review a proposed constitutional amendment allowing medical marijuana. Bondi sent a letter to the court, petitioning the justices to check the amendment’s “validity.” It did not include a statement of legal opposition, as her previous letter on last year’s medical marijuana initiative did. […]

Jim RosicaSeptember 30, 2015

It’s still not clear how much a proposed constitutional amendment allowing medical use of marijuana will cost the state to implement, nor how much Florida will gain financially from it. The state’s Financial Impact Estimating Conference, made up of various state officials, met Wednesday to go over nearly 600 pages of reference material on the initiative. One […]

Mitch PerrySeptember 22, 2015

United For Care, the advocacy group pushing to have medical marijuana legalized in Florida, has now collected more than 500,000 signatures in its bid to get on the 2016 ballot. That news came via an email sent out by Orlando attorney John Morgan, the Democratic Party fundraiser and main financial backer for last year’s effort, […]

Tag: United for Care
Janette Nesheiwat. Image via Facebook (CityMD).

Email insights: United for Care confident it has signatures it needs to get on 2016 ballot

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

John Wood files legislation to give more patients medical marijuana options

Medical marijuana supporters score another big fundraising month in October

AG Pam Bondi won’t ask court to block pot measure

John Morgan says he’ll match medical pot drive donations 9 to 1

Lawmakers introduce bill for stronger medical pot

Pam Bondi formally asks Supreme Court to review medical pot amendment

State panel talks dollars and cents of medical pot

United for Care announces it has collected more than 500,000 signatures