Mel Sembler begins fundraising effort to kill (Florida) medical marijuana initiative

[steve2470]

http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/the-buzz-florida-politics/mel-sembler-begins-fundraising-effort-to-kill-medical-marijuana-initiative/2274311

With Jeb Bush out of the race, Mel Sembler has another 2016 focus: Defeating Florida’s medical marijuana ballot initiative.

Sembler tells The Buzz he and his wife, Betty, plan to raise at least $10 million, exceeding their successful 2014 effort that took in $7.5 million.

A presidential election will get Democrats, and young voters in general, to the polls and that favors the pro-marijuana side. Polling shows the measure clearing the needed 60 percent threshold.

Sembler said the growing financial boon that is pot is another hurdle. “It’s always a challenge, particularly when there’s a major profit on the other side and there’s no profit on our side.

*end of excerpt*

It's really important that people vote for this and get their friends and families to do so also. It lost last time.

[trumad]

1. This 60 percent thing is horseshit.

It will get there this time though.

[steve2470]

4. I think it will, yes nt

[saturnsring]

2. why?

[potone]

3. I hope the people supporting it have studied what has happened in other states...

that made it legal. It has helped a lot of people and has not had a downside in terms of crime, despite predictions to the contrary. It needs to be made legal nationally.

[Visionary]

5. Sigh...

People who still are opposed to recreational marijuana need to wake up.
People who are even opposed to medical marijuana need to just leave the country and go somewhere less free. Maybe one of those sharia law type nations.

I just don't understand the opposition to medical MJ. We have so many legal prescription drugs which cause addiction, death and horrible side effects. The dang super bowl even had a commercial for pills meant to treat opiate caused constipation. Why is it so hard to convince some people to allow an all-natural herbal treatment which would eliminate the need for a lot of opiates and other pharmaceutical drugs?

Cannabis has never directly caused a single death in recorded history. It's impossible to OD on and causes very little physical harm. The harm can be further minimized by vaping or eating edibles rather than smoking the herb. There's no reason why it should be this hard to legalize a safer alternative to many harmful pharma drugs.

I see the 'unintended consequences' argument brought up, but that too is flawed. If we really wanted to 'save the children', then we should probably ban firearms or have strict lockup requirements. Why are alcohol and tobacco legal at all? Those two substances cause more deaths than all other drugs combined and are completely legal? The hypocrisy is what gets to me the most. Either we live in a free society or a hypocritical society where the freedom is merely an illusion.