Showing posts with label Ben Pollara. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ben Pollara. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 13, 2019

MIAMI BEACH MOVES TO BAN MEDICAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES

Today the Miami Beach City Commission will vote on legislation proposed by Commissioner Joy Malakoff (Above) that would replace the City’s already restrictive dispensary ordinance with an outright ban on medical marijuana retail in Miami Beach. 

Ben Pollara, founder and Executive Director of Florida for Care issued the following statement regarding the Miami Beach proposal:

“It is outrageous that 80% of Miami Beach voters supported medical marijuana in 2016, yet the City Commission is contemplating a proposal by an unelected Commissioner to deny the voters’ will - and stifle patient access.” Pollara continued, “Not only is this ban wrong for Miami Beach, but it is also wrong for Miami-Dade County. There are only a handful of dispensaries in Dade and this would further limit access. The City needs 
to reverse course immediately.”

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

Wednesday, March 8, 2017

Statement from Ben Pollara, Executive Director of Florida for Care, on HB 1397

"I believe Leader Rodrigues was sincere and thoughtful in his approach and authorship of this law, but I can't help but be dismayed by the House proposal. The bill begins by moving backwards in many ways critical to the letter and spirit of the constitution, and in some cases, the existing low-THC Cannabis statute.

In addition to banning smokable and edible marijuana products, HB 1397 bans the vaporization of marijuana oils, except for terminal patients. That is a further restriction than what even the current law allows.

HB 1397 also offers only a modest expansion of the marketplace for medical marijuana treatment centers and again takes a step backwards in doing so. Forget about government not being in the business of picking winners and losers, HB 1397 literally picks losers in the issuance of the first tranche of new licenses proposed in the legislation. The bill calls for the first five licenses issued to be awarded to applicants who previously applied for, but failed to win, a license under the current law.

Today is the start of session and I hope this bill is the start of a meaningful debate in the House over the merits of this approach and that as the bill moves through the process, it applies more free market principals."

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

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Ben Pollara: You Vote?

 "Moocher Mel Sembler has promised to collect $10 million of his friends' money to try and keep this medicine out of the hands of patients.  In 2014, Mel got a billionaire to put in $6 million, and it cost patients 2 years of suffering. We must raise millions between now and the end of Summer. We need to make sure voters throughout the state know why they should vote for Amendment 2. Don't assume they know already: This is, because of the presidential race, a larger pool of voters than in 2014." Ben Pollara
Help United For Care here


You vote? John Morgan warned you in 2014 that if you didn't we would lose. Get it right this time. 
Register to vote florida

Friday, April 22, 2016

Mel Sembler Wants To Save Your Brain

Today, The Tampa Bay Times reported that Mel Sembler plans to raise at least 10 million to to kill proposed Amendment 2, Use of Marijuana for Debilitating Medical Conditions. In response, 
Ben Pollara, Campaign Manager at United for Care stated:
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Mel Sembler can spend whatever he wants to try and deny sick and suffering Floridians relief in the form of medical marijuana, but the will of the people is stronger than his money. Mr. Sembler and his allies tried this once already in 2014, they spent $7.5 million dollars attacking medical marijuana and while they were successful in defeating the amendment, an overwhelming, 58% majority of voters still voted “yes”.
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The misleading campaign Sembler oversaw in 2014 won’t work again in 2016. This version of Amendment 2 received unanimous approval by the Florida Supreme Court. Editorial boards of Florida newspapers that opposed Amendment 2 in 2014 now endorse it in 2016. The most prominent and visible opponents in 2014 - the Florida Sheriff’s Association - hasn’t yet taken a position this year.
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The opposition is going to have to create a new set of lies to oppose Amendment 2. The people of Florida will see through those lies. United for Care will wage a statewide campaign to counter Sembler’s dishonest attacks, and medical marijuana will pass in November.


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

Florida millennials please note. This guy is 85 years old and a republican, he will be gone soon and you will have to live with his bull shit. In 2014 we got 58%. VOTE in 2016 and make it happen!

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

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

United for Care Slams Marco Rubio

"It's unfortunate that Florida's senior senator and leading Republican presidential contender, Marco Rubio, has taken a position in clear opposition to the rights of the states to determine their own course on marijuana laws. As a Floridian, it seems to me Rubio is proactively telling our state that he doesn't respect the will of the people. Can you imagine if a President Rubio sent federal agents to Florida to raid legal marijuana businesses and patients in the case that he became president and we passed a constitutional amendment?" Ben Pollara

"This man will never be President." YCS
 Have you signed yet?

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

Friday, February 13, 2015

Florida for Care Cautious to Support HB 683

While Florida for Care applauds the filing of House Bill 683 by Rep. Greg Steube (R-D373), there are serious reservations regarding its provisions, which are far more restrictive than its Senate companion bill SB528.  “We are encouraged to see this companion bill filed by Rep. Steube. However, the exclusion of qualifying symptoms - in addition to qualifying diseases - and the prohibition on a patient’s ability to consume their medicine as recommended by a doctor is alarming.", said Ben Pollara, Executive Director of Florida for Care. here

For more information or to schedule an interview with Ben Pollara or Dan Rogers, please contact Bianca Garza via email at Bianca@floridaforcare.org