Pubdate: Fri, 05 Sep 2014
Source: Orlando Sentinel (FL)
Copyright: 2014 Orlando Sentinel
Contact:  http://www.orlandosentinel.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/325
Note: Rarely prints out-of-state LTEs.
Author: Scott Powers
Page: B1

ANTI-MEDICAL-MARIJUANA FORCES ABOUT TO SPEND BIG

If John Morgan expects to match opponents' TV advertising in the 
medical-marijuana campaign, he might have to spend millions more of 
his own dollars to do so.

Morgan and others supporting Amendment 2 to legalize medical 
marijuana on the Nov. 4 ballot have received thousands of campaign 
donations, including scores of thousand-dollar checks from businesses 
that could make money from it.

But the pro-medical-marijuana political action committee People 
United For Medical Marijuana spent almost all of its money just to 
get Amendment 2 on the ballot and to pay for public-appearance campaigning.

The anti-Amendment 2 PAC Drug Free Florida Committee - which has its 
own big backer in Las Vegas casino owner and conservative political 
financier Sheldon Adelson - has only begun to spend.

As a result, eight weeks out from the election, medical-marijuana 
opponents are preparing to spend the $2.8 million they have in the 
bank, plus whatever more they might raise this fall, while the 
pro-medical-marijuana campaign fund had only $625,000 left, in its 
latest report.

Last year Morgan jumpstarted what had been a very inactive 
medical-marijuana campaign in part by donating more than $3.7 million 
from his law firm and his personal wealth. But by the end of July the 
campaign had spent more than $5 million without buying much advertising

Still, the proponents' early spending worked, said University of 
Central Florida political scientist Aubrey Jewett, because Amendment 
2 is winning handily in most public-opinion polls and the proponents 
have dominated media coverage.

"Right now they [proponents] do have quite a bit to show for it. But 
if they want to assure a win for this ballot initiative, they almost 
certainly are going to have to raise and spend more over the next two 
months, because the other side is certainly going to start spending," 
Jewett said. "The opponents of medical marijuana are probably going 
to do a traditional media push over the last 60 days and that could 
potentially be effective. ... They could drive approval of this 
measure below 60 percent."

A constitutional amendment must get 60 percent voter approval to be adopted.

Morgan said proponents are expecting more big donations, even if he 
has to make them.

The opponents say they are ready to counter his checkbook.

The Drug Free Florida PAC received $2.5 million from Adelson, plus 
$540,000 from Publix heiress Carol Jenkins Barnett 's family trust in 
Lakeland, and $100,000 from Save Our Society From Drugs founder Mel 
Sembler of St. Petersburg. They've spent just over $400,000.

United For Care campaign boasts more than 4,500 individual donors.

"We've tried to reach out to anyone interested in getting it passed. 
I don't care what their interest is, whether purely philosophical or 
business interests," said Ben Pollara, campaign manager for United 
For Care. "We've also got a lot of contributions from teachers, 
doctors, students, lawyers, a very broad group."

Doctors, pharmacists, agriculture firms and other companies 
potentially associated with medical-marijuana sales have made at 
least 84 contributions totaling $334,000 to People United. 
Contributors who identified themselves as investors have made 21 
contributions totaling $202,000. And political organizations have 
contributed another $211,000.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom