Posted on 01/27/2014 12:46:38 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
TAMPA -- Some Florida Republicans fear, and some Democrats hope, that a November referendum on legalizing medical marijuana in Florida will drive young and liberal voters to the polls, helping Democratic candidates including gubernatorial challenger Charlie Crist.
The initiative, still not certified for the November ballot, is generating charges of political motives from both sides.
Some Republicans call it an expensive ploy by Crist's backers to help him win.
"It is no coincidence that Charlie Crist's law partner and biggest supporter, John Morgan, is financing medical marijuana," said Gainesville-based GOP consultant Alex Patton. "It's a plan."
Some Democrats, meanwhile, say Republicans are trying to keep the measure off the ballot because they fear the voters it would draw to the polls.
In a political forum in Tampa last week, George Sheldon and Perry Thurston -- Democrats running against Republican Attorney General Pam Bondi -- accused Bondi of challenging the initiative in court for that reason.
"You don't want those people to come out to vote," Thurston said.
For all the back and forth, however, experts including Democrats and Republicans, pro- and anti-legalization advocates, say its effect on voter turnout is questionable.
There is evidence that marijuana initiatives increase turnout among young presumably Democratic-leaning voters. But that effect is strongest when the issue on the ballot is legalization rather than medical use as in Florida.
"My gut instinct is that the medical marijuana initiatives do not have the same kind of impact on young voter turnout," said Steve Fox, a veteran of the movement for liberalization of marijuana laws and co-founder of the National Cannabis Industry Association, a new trade group for producers and sellers of legal marijuana.
(Excerpt) Read more at tbo.com ...
John Morgan, other than being a first class ambulance chaser, is a big Obama supporter, has even had the Cretan in his home.
Nah, never...
I’m waiting for the Feds to issue special marijuana shop debit cards to welfare recipients because, after all, we wouldn’t want them to feel discriminated against.
Shouldn't matter, but if it does, FL will supplant CA as the cereal state (i.e. fruits, nuts and flakes).
5.56mm
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.