Florida is the only state in the 2014 Election that is voting on medical marijuana. The campaign there has done a fantastic job of getting donations, getting the word out, and dealing with attempts by the opposition to spread anti-medical marijuana propaganda. Dealing with the opposition has not been easy, as they are very well funded thanks to a hefty donation from conservative funder Sheldon Adelson. Florida’s election requirements are different than most other states, in that the Florida medical marijuana initiative (Amendment 2) has to get 60%+ of the vote on Election Day – not the usual 50%+ as in most other states. Months ago a poll was released that showed 88% support for the initiative. But the latest poll shows the support at a much lower level. Per Fire Dog Lake:
Efforts to make Florida the first southern state to adopt medical marijuana are in danger of possibly coming up short this November. A new SurveyUSA/WFLA poll found only 56 percent of voters at this moment plan to support Amendment 2, Florida’s Right to Medical Marijuana Initiative while 31 percent plan to vote against it. The remaining 13 percent are still undecided.
If the undecided voters break evenly the measure would end up with roughly 62 percent of the vote, just barely clearing the threshold, but when it comes to ballot measures people are who undecided at the end tend to break towards the “No” camp. People often vote to maintain the status quo if they are unsure.
Rather than look at these poll results as ‘doom and gloom,’ people in Florida should look at it as an opportunity to step up their efforts. Make a donation to the Amendment 2 campaign to help them battle the opposition’s well funded propaganda. Volunteer for the campaign to help get the word out. Help in voter registration efforts. Do everything you can to help ensure victory on Election Day and help bring safe access to Florida patients who desperately need it.
