Showing posts with label Bianca A Garza. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bianca A Garza. Show all posts

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:
----------
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”.
----------
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.
----------
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!

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, December 18, 2015

Central Florida NORML Rocks Ybor City

 Local Treasure Jessica Rose

Meet George 
He spent over 32 years in prison 
for marijuana possession.






We have the power, we are on the right side. 
We will win!

George seems to be doing ok, 
we would be really pissed off!
Join NORML
We missed you Bianca!

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 

Friday, October 9, 2015

CHARIMAN, JOHN MORGAN, TO MATCH DONATIONS 9 TO 1 FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA PETITION

John Morgan, the Chairman of United for Care, has announced he will be matching all donations 9 to 1 in order to support the petition gathering process and to support patient's right to medical marijuana in FL.  Morgan is already the leading donor to the campaign and largely funded it's 2014 effort. John Morgan stated, 
“I started doing this because of my brother and father. During his last days, my father was able to find relief with medical marijuana. My brother, Tim, is a hardworking family man who should not have to suffer or live like a criminal. Like the majority of voters in Florida, I want sick and suffering patients like my brother to have the option to legally use medical marijuana. Over the past 2 years I’ve met so many people across our state that also NEED safe, legal access to medical marijuana. We are going to make sure that happens.
The Tallahassee politicians quit on us early. I will not quit until the people of Florida have a comprehensive medical marijuana law. To show my commitment, I am going to match all online donations 9 to 1 from now until the end of December.”
----------
United for Care needs to collect about 500,000 more petitions before Dec 31st in order to meet the deadline to make the 2016 ballot.
----------
United for Care’s Campaign Manager, Ben Pollara, stated, “We are honored to have the backing of a man who is so compassionate and tenacious. If someone donates $10, he’s going to put $90 on it- that’s phenomenal. It’s going to be tough, but I still think we can make the ballot before the end of the year” here

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

Monday, October 5, 2015

United for Care Looking For Medical Marijuana Refugees

Bianca A Garza, 
Hello everyone! As Director of Communications with United for Care. I am still looking for people who have left Florida for a state that allows medical use of marijuana. In other words, medical marijuana refugees. I'd like to hear and share these stories in order to help educate the community on why a medical marijuana law is so important in our state. If you know of anyone please give them my email: bianca@unitedforcare.org

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.

Saturday, April 11, 2015

John Morgan Is Serious

Ben Pollara is serious!
Bianca A Garza is serious!
Carlos Hermida is serious!
Kush Liberty  is serious!
Central Florida NORML is serious!
Robert Mronetime Valdez Jr is serious!
We are serious!

“We have a list of 200,000 supporters who are still committed to this and 12,000 volunteers and 6,000 donors to the campaign, just because we got 58 percent and not 60 percent in the election we’re not going to pack up and go home. There are people banging on our door to fire it (the campaign) back up.” Ben Pollara

Thursday, April 9, 2015

Black Farmers Association and Florida for Care Continue Fight for Inclusion of Minorities in SB 7066

SB 7066 is the low THC medical marijuana bill filed by Senator Bradley, R-District 7, which has a requirement where nurseries that have been in business for at least thirty years are the only ones that can apply for a license to grow and process the medicine. Earlier this week Rep. Matt Caldwell, R-North Fort Myers, who sponsored the amendment last year that allowed the requirements stated, “I thought the ones who’ve been here the longest should be the first in line”.
This requirement makes it impossible for black farmers to even apply for one of the five highly sought after licenses- However, the Black Farmers and Agriculturalists Association is not going to sit idly by while this bill is pushed through committees.
Last week during the Health Policy Committee meeting members from the association stood lobbying against the requirement stating the injustices to not only the black farmer, but the small farmers in Florida.  Howard Gunn, an Ocala farmer and President of the Florida Black Farmers and Agriculturalists Association said, “We basically would love to get into this business. We see the profitability. We think the black farmers can somehow make a better living”
An Amendment to SB 7066 has been filed that will change the requirement. The Amendment sponsored by Minority Leader, Senator Joyner of District 19, should it pass, will allow nurseries who have been in business for five consecutive years to apply for one of the highly sought after licenses.
Right now the Rules Committee is meeting and will vote on the amendment to change the requirement from thirty years to five. Florida for Care is hopeful this egregious requirement will no longer exist. “When you see such a large group of people being marginalized, it’s much easier to understand the injustice of this rule”, said Dan Rogers, Director of Legislative Affairs, “and let’s face it, no one wants to be called racist. This requirement is racist- it may not have been intentional- but there’s no denying the reality.”
The Black Farmers Agriculturalists Association is not going to rely on hope. They are at the Rules Committee this morning to once again lobby for their right to apply for a license. “5 years will be a lot better than 30, but I have constituents with me that believe there should not be any restrictions.” Stated Howard Gunn. In regards to the overall status of the bill he said, “We are hopeful the right decision will be made that will help all people and not just some people. We understand it’s been a long time coming for patients.”
“Florida for Care is about creating a free and robust market- passing this amendment will bring us closer to that goal.” said Ben Pollara, Executive Director of Florida for Care.

Florida for Care will spearhead legislation in March of 2015 in Tallahassee, setting the standard for what the state’s medical marijuana system should look like and how it can function most effectively. Such a system must balance three core principles: first, safe, affordable patient access; second, a tightly controlled state regulatory structure; and third, a robust, free market commercial enterprise.

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

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Florida for Care Bringing Nation’s Leading Drug Reformer

Florida for Care is hosting their first policy conference of 2015 this week. On Friday, February 27, 2015 they will bring Sheriffs, legislators, County Commissioners, advocates, medical professionals and business people together to discuss medical marijuana in Florida. Among those speaking at the conference will be Ethan Nadelmann, Executive Director of Drug Policy Alliance. “We are thrilled to have Ethan back. I suspect he’ll shed light on where Florida goes from here.” Stated Ben Pollara, Executive Director of Florida for Care.
Ethan Nadelmann was present during FFC’s last conference where he touched on Jamaica’s state of affairs in regards to medical marijuana- just over a month later Jamaica, as he predicted, decriminalized marijuana clearing the way for safe, legal access to medical marijuana. He also told guests of the last conference, “Building this industry isn’t just good for business, it’s the right thing to do”.
In addition to Ethan’s Afternoon Keynote speech, there will be panels titled Best Business Practices and Government Regulations.
The Policy Conference is being held at The Westin Colonnade of Coral Gables. The Conference is from 8am to 3pm on Friday, February 27 with a social networking event the evening before from 6:30 to 9pm. Registration is required to join the conference.
For more information on the event or how to become a member email Eric Stevens, Executive Deputy Director, at Eric@floridaforcare

Florida for Care will spearhead legislation in March of 2015 in Tallahassee, setting the standard for what the state’s medical cannabis system should look like and how it can function most effectively. Such a system must balance three core principles: first, safe, affordable patient access; second, a tightly controlled state regulatory structure; and third, a robust, free market commercial enterprise.

Sunday, January 18, 2015

FLORIDA FOR CARE PLANS NEXT EVENT

 Florida for Care,
the medical marijuana lobbying group, has announced the date of its first policy and regulation event for 2015. The event will be held at The Westin Colonnade Coral Gables with a cocktail, networking reception on the evening of Thursday, February 26th followed by a day of presentations on the 27th.
They will be discussing upcoming medical marijuana bills as well as progress on the petition that United for Care is planning.
“We anticipate an information packed day with speakers ranging from the medical marijuana industry leaders to Florida’s legislators. A full agenda will be released soon”, stated Ben Pollara, Executive Director of Florida for Care.
For information on memberships, sponsorships or tickets contact Eric Stevens at Eric@Floridaforcare.org or 305-547-9831
Florida for Care will spearhead legislation in March of 2015 in Tallahassee, setting the standard for what the state’s medical cannabis system should look like and how it can function most effectively. Such a system must balance three core principles: first, safe, affordable patient access; second, a tightly controlled state regulatory structure; and third, a robust, free market commercial enterprise.
 For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact Bianca Garza via email at press@floridaforcare.org

Thursday, November 6, 2014

Bianca A Garza Of United For Care

My heart aches, but it’s actually painless. But not for hundreds of thousands of Floridians. I am so saddened to know there are soo many Floridians who will continue to suffer, who will technically live as criminals and who will risk their lives to obtain cannabis for their family to find relief. Last night I literally had nightmares of the people Ive met along this journey who will continue to suffer, but my dreams don’t compare to their everyday reality. I normally don’t wi...sh negative happenings on people, but I hope the No folks have a few nightmares themselves. Perhaps it will bring about a change in them. more
Great job Ms. Garza, thank you for all your hard work.