Anthony Cincotti's shows his Nevada medical marijuana user card. / Sarah Coward/news-press.com
Supporters of legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes in Florida are sure 2014 will be the year their wish becomes reality.
“Florida is ready to explode,” said Jodi James, executive director of the Florida Cannabis Action Network. “We firmly believe that Florida patients will have legal access to cannabis by November 2014.”
Strong words in a state where a proposed medical marijuana bill died in committee early in the 2013 legislative session. Sponsor Sen. Jeff Clemens, D-Lake Worth, said last week he will bring back the measure for another go-round in 2014. Clemens said he also could propose a constitutional amendment to legalize medical marijuana.
But legislators could be pre-empted by thepower of the people if the drive to collect more than 683,000 voter signatures to put the issue on the ballot takes off. That drive appeared to be sputtering because of a lack of resources until John Morgan, head of the Morgan and Morgan law firm , recently joined the effort in favor of medical pot.
Morgan promised to commit his own funds and raise money from other donors to pay for the signature-gathering campaign, estimated to cost more than $3 million, according to published reports. Backers believe Morgan’s political and financial clout could fuel their cause to victory.
“In Florida, John Morgan is the biggest friend the issue ever had,” said Jack Tanner of Fort Myers. He is a member of the Lee Liberty Caucus, a group first organized to back Ron Paul for president in 2008. “John Morgan knows how to do things, and he has the money to back it up.”
Morgan joined and is now chairman of the political committee of People United for Medical Marijuana, which was founded as a grass-roots organization four years ago by Orlando resident Kim Russell. Russell said in an interview Ben Pollara, a lobbyist and fundraiser for the President Obama re-election campaign, brought together her and Morgan. According to published reports, Morgan has said marijuana helped ease his father’s suffering as he was dying of cancer. Pollara is now treasurer of the group.
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