Publix Heiress Donates $800K to Anti-Medical Marijuana Group

LAKELAND, FL — The Drug Free Florida Committee is on a mission to get voters to say no to Amendment 2 in November. That mission just got an $800,000 shot in the arm courtesy of the daughter of Publix’s founder George Jenkins.

The Carol Jenkins Barnett Family Trust made the hefty donation to the committee on July 14, according to the Florida Department of State Division of Elections. Another recent donation to the cause came from Sarasota’s Neal Communities to the tune of $5,000. A $500,000 donation from St. Petersburg’s Mel F. Sembler was also made recently, along with a $10,000 donation from Sarasota’s Patrick K. Neal.

Amendment 2 is expected to appear on the Nov. 8 ballot. Backed by United for Care, the measure seeks to make access to medical marijuana more open within the state of Florida for those who suffer from serious conditions, such as cancer.

A similar proposal was placed on the November 2014 ballot, but was narrowly defeated by Florida voters. State law calls for approval by 60 percent of registered voters for an amendment to pass. The 2014 amendment received 57.6 percent of the vote.

This time around supporters say they’ve closed “loopholes” in their proposal that raised concerns in the 2014 election. The new petition, for example, requires parental consent for minors and calls for legalized use only by people who have debilitating medical conditions, among other tweaks.

A petition drive to get the measure on the 2016 ballot kicked off in January 2015 with heavy support from Orlando and Tampa Bay area lawyer John Morgan. Morgan reportedly spent millions during the first election go-around and has pledged his support – and wallet – to the effort once again.

While United for Care claims loopholes have been closed, the Drug Free Florida Committee contends flaws remain in the proposal that will be turned over to voters to decide in November.

“Don’t let them fool you,” the committee said on its VoteNo2.org website. “Amendment 2 is not designed to help the sick. Amendment 2 is designed to legalize pot smoking in Florida.”

Voters will have the final say in November.

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