Showing posts with label United for Care. Show all posts
Showing posts with label United for Care. Show all posts

Thursday, April 13, 2017

71% of Floridians

Over 71% of Floridians voted "yes" for Amendment 2 last November. Now the legislature is working to implement the law and they need to hear our voices again. They need to know we're paying attention. They need to remember they are implementing the will of 71% of Floridians. here

Thursday, March 30, 2017

The Mel Sembler Medical Marijuana Act

The Florida House just held its first vote on legislation to implement Amendment 2 the way Mel Sembler, Calvina Fay and the Drug Free America Foundation see fit. The folks who spent 4 years and over $10 million dollars to deny sick and suffering Floridians access to medical marijuana is now helping draft the language to implement the law that over 71% of us approved. 
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Ben Pollara was at the committee meeting in Tallahassee yesterday where the bill was being heard. When it came time for public comment, the first person to stand up was Calvina Fay, the longtime head of the Drug Free America Foundation. She expressed her support for the bill, thanked the sponsor for taking so many of her recommendations, and suggested it could be a model for legislation across the country.
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Folks, this bill is bad. If passed, it would basically cancel out the vote we had last fall, if not make the situation worse.
Here's just some of what HB 1397 proposes:
  • Bans smoking, vaporizing and eating medical marijuana.
  • Patients have to wait 90 days to certify.
  • Patients must recertify every 90 days.
  • Creates numerous, new criminal penalties for even minor violations.
  • Patients must sign an "informed consent" document warning them of all the dangers of marijuana use and reminding them it is federally illegal.
This IS NOT what we voted for. This WILL NOT help patients. This IS NOT what the constitution says.
Help Florida for Care fight back today. We need your support to educate members of the legislature so that we can actually pass meaningful implementing legislation. here

Sunday, March 5, 2017

Hillsborough County Medical Marijuana Zoning Ordinance

3.7 - 6pm
County Center - Downtown Tampa
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The Hillsborough County Commission will hear public comment and take a vote on their proposed medical marijuana zoning ordinance.
Commissioners are rushing to approve zoning rules and restrictions on medical marijuana businesses before Tallahassee has acted to implement the constitution. We need to tell the Hillsborough County Commission to slow down and do what's best for patient access.
Click here

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

AMENDMENT 2 RELEASE DOCUMENT DESCRIBING INTENT OF LAW

The principal authors of Amendment 2, “Use of Marijuana for Debilitating Medical Conditions”, released last night a document titled, "Amendment 2: Analysis of Intent." The 11-page analysis is signed by John B. Morgan, Esq. and Ben Pollara, the Chairman and Treasurer, respectively, of People United for Medical Marijuana, Jon Mills, the committee's counsel, and Tamar Todd, a Senior Attorney with the Drug Policy Alliance.
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Check it out here

Monday, October 24, 2016

ACLU of Florida Recommends Voting YES on Amendment 2

By voting “YES” on amendment 2, you’re putting healthcare decisions back into physician’s hands. Our legislators have recognized that marijuana can be used as medicine by passing Charlotte’s Web Law and the Right to Try Act, but those laws are not enough. here

Saturday, October 22, 2016

Florida No On 2 Losing Millions Of Dollars

Despite millions of dollars spent against us, the latest poll of Amendment 2 shows us at 74%!
here

Thursday, July 28, 2016

MEDICAL MARIJUANA AMENDMENT POLLING NEAR 80% IN RECENT SURVEY

In a survey conducted by Anzalone Liszt Research on behalf of United for Care, likely Florida voters favor Amendment 2 - "Use of Marijuana for Debilitating Medical Conditions" - by a margin of 77%-20%. Anzalone conducted a similar survey for United for Care in June, 2014 in which the previous version of Amendment 2 received 69% support. The medical marijuana amendment ultimately received 58% in the last election, just shy of the 60% that Florida law requires for passage.

Kevin Akins, of Anzalone Liszt Grove, said of the recent polling, “Voter support for medical marijuana in Florida is stronger than ever. A broad and diverse coalition of voters across age, racial, and gender lines support Amendment 2 by a winning margin."

Indeed, the survey showed only 3% undecided. Other recent polls have shown similarly small levels of undecided voters on this issue.

United for Care campaign manager, Ben Pollara, said, "I'm obviously pleased at these levels of support, but I'm also not surprised. The notion of allowing medical decisions to be made by doctors and patients, not politicians, is simply not controversial. Floridians are compassionate and they know that marijuana can help alleviate suffering.”

“The 2016 ballot language is also stronger and addressed a number of concerns that some voters expressed previously. It was approved unanimously by the supreme court, and we’re seeing a broader coalition supportive of passage than before,” said Pollara.

Respondents to United for Care's poll were read the complete ballot title and summary for amendment 2 - "Use of Marijuana for Debilitating Medical Conditions" - that will appear on Florida's 2016 general election ballot, then asked if they would vote "yes" or "no" on the amendment. The poll was conducted July 17-21 and has a margin of error of +/- 3.1%. The poll included bilingual dialing, and 46% of the poll was among cell phone completes, while 39% of the poll was among cell phone-only households.

For press inquiries please
 contact Bianca Garza apress@unitedforcare.org

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

No On 2 Propaganda

In a new commercial designed to scare voters, No on 2 is falsely claiming that Amendment 2 would replace pharmacists with "budtenders."
The truth is fairly simple. Federal law's prohibition of marijuana legally prevents doctors from "prescribing" medical marijuana and pharmacists from dispensing.  However, in states where medical marijuana is legal, doctors may "recommend" medical marijuana that can only be dispensed in a licensed dispensary. 
That's the way it works in 25 other states where patients with cancer, MS, epilepsy, HIV/AIDS, and other serious conditions can find relief.

Not that this is a surprise. The No On 2 campaign, underwritten in part by a couple who have made a fortune running a drug treatment center accused of torturing its patients, has made up lies from the beginning.
They immorally delayed relief for hundreds of thousands of patients by keeping us under 60% in 2014—mainly by misleading voters about what the law actually said. 


Thank you to the Greenspoon & Marder Law firm, which has generously offered to match your donation, dollar for dollar.
Ben PollaraCampaign Manager,  United for Care

Sunday, April 24, 2016

John Morgan: Bring It On

We knew it was going to happen at some point. Mel Sembler - Sheldon Adelson's BFF and the leader of the "No on 2" campaign in 2014 announced today that he plans to spend $10 million to defeat medical marijuana this fall.
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I've got a message for Mel Sembler: BRING. IT. ON.
No amount of money and lies are going to stop us from winning this time.
I need your help TODAY. Make a donation to the campaign now
and send Mel Sembler and all those who would seek to stand in the way of compassion a message:
BRING. IT. ON. COMPASSION. IS. COMING. John

Monday, March 28, 2016

Weed Legal In Florida If You Can Prove You Are Dying In 12 Months

Rick Scott signed a bill making medical marijuana legal for people who can prove they're dying within 12 months.   
The law is a total mistake, and here's why:
By passing this illogical, limited bill which does nothing for the vast majority of patients (whether they are dying or not), Scott and his cronies in the legislature will try to say they've already passed medical marijuana and therefore we don't need Amendment 2.   They probably think this law gets them off the hook and/or will distract the public into thinking the job's done.   They're wrong. While they've acknowledged that marijuana is medicine, the new law does nothing for people who are fighting to stay alive, who need marijuana to help inspire hunger and alleviate pain, or alleviate life threatening (but not necessarily fatal) seizures. The new law denies medical marijuana to soldiers with PTSD and to those with MS.  Amendment 2 gives access to those who are seriously debilitated, whether or not they are dying within an arbitrary period of time.   We MUST pass Amendment 2 for those patients and more. Please support our efforts and our drive for 1000 new donations between now and April 30.  We only have 755 to go!  Click here to support our 1000 donor drive with a contribution of any size.  Thank you for everything you're doing to support medical marijuana in Florida. 
Ben Pollara Campaign Manager United for Care

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Tallahassee's Skunky Weed Bill

Once again, Tallahassee politicians are putting their own campaigns before medical science and the rights of doctors. They passed HB307, a bill that perpetuates the status quo except for a very small number of terminally ill patients. This law would do nothing for people like my brother, a quadriplegic, or any other person who has intractable pain. It does nothing to help cancer patients who need marijuana to counter the affects of chemo. It does nothing for our soldiers with PTSD or patients with MS. The bill is typical Tallahassee window dressing, designed more to help with campaigns than serve as a true means of access for those that need it. lt also adds a new class of eligibility to a universe of 
ZERO eligible patients.
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While there are a few up there worth supporting, I lost faith in the legislature a long time ago. The ONLY thing they've done with this legislation is acknowledge that medical marijuana works, but then they specifically voted against access for hundreds of thousands of patients who need it.
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This is why we took matters into our own hands, and why so many of us opened up our wallets to support getting Amendment 2 on the 2016 ballot. Tallahassee's failure points again to the need for Amendment 2, and the need for your continued support.  Doctors—not Tallahassee politicians—should decide who they should recommend use marijuana.  People shouldn't have to be terminal to be allowed this access.
- John Morgan, Chairman, United for Care

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

John Morgan On Tallahassee Window Dressing

The Florida Senate passed HB 307 on a bipartisan 28-11 vote. HB 307 is meant to expand current medical marijuana laws to allow terminally ill patients the use medical marijuana.
Attorney John Morgan, United for Care's Chairman, said, "Once again, Tallahassee politicians are putting their own campaigns before medical science and the rights of doctors. This law would do nothing for people like my brother, a quadriplegic, or any other person who has intractable pain. It does nothing to help cancer patients who need marijuana to counter the affects of chemo. It does nothing for our solders with PTSD or patients with MS. The bill is typical Tallahassee window dressing, designed more to help with campaigns than serve as a true means of access for those that need it. Hospice centers have another drug. It's called morphine."

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

United for Care Receives SEIU Florida Endorsement

55,000
Nurses, Doctors and Healthcare Workers Endorse Medical Marijuana.


CONTACT: BIANCA GARZA
EMAIL: PRESS@UNITEDFORCARE.ORG
Pic: 2014 in Ybor City

Friday, January 29, 2016

Medical Marijuana will be on the 2016 Ballot in Florida

The Florida Division of Elections has confirmed that United for Care has turned in the 683,149 valid petitions to qualify for the ballot. With a petition drive that began in the summer of 2015 and ended at the New Year, over 1 million people in Florida signed a petition to put medical marijuana back on the ballot. here

Saturday, January 2, 2016

Tampa Bay Supports Medical Marijuana

According to a Tampa Bay Times/WTSP poll poll, nearly three-quarters of Tampa Bay residents support legalizing marijuana for medical uses. here

Thursday, December 17, 2015

FL SUPREME COURT RULES IN FAVOR OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA PETITION

 On Thursday, December 17th, 2015 the Florida Supreme Court ruled in favor of theUse of Marijuana for Debilitating Medical Conditions petition. The final hurdle to making the 2016 ballot will be gathering enough valid signatures- 683,149. At the time of the Supreme Court ruling, 400,032 petitions had been validated. With 900,000 gathered, United for Care is confident they will garner enough valid signatures to make the 2016 ballot. 
This ruling comes as no surprise to United for Care, the organization spearheading the effort to make the 2016 ballot.

Ben Pollara, Campaign Manager, said, "The unanimous decision by the Florida Supreme Court to approve the new medical marijuana constitutional amendment is a huge victory for hundreds of thousands of sick and suffering Floridians who could benefit from the passage of such a law. While we still must collect the required number of petitions before officially being placed on the 2016 ballot, we are confident that we will and that Florida voters will approve this amendment in the general election. In 2014, four of seven Supreme Court justices approved our ballot language and 58% of Floridians voted "yes"; this time, all seven justices approved our language and we feel strongly that well over the required 60% of Floridians will vote "yes" for a comprehensive and compassionate medical marijuana law."

United for Care's chairman, John Morgan, stated, 
"This is a huge victory for Florida. We will win next November. 
Compassion is coming!"

For press inquires please contact Bianca Garza 
at press@unitedforcare.org 

Sunday, November 29, 2015

United for Care Deadlines Are Looming

Deadlines are looming for this campaign. We have to make sure we get 683,149 petitions in by January. Realistically, based on when the bills for petition collection are due, we need to raise another $73,000 by the end of the year.   We're hoping to raise another $23k Tuesday, if we can. The longer it takes, the more expensive it becomes.