John Morgan
List of Potential Medical Marijuana States Growing
As we have been reporting (with regularity), support for medical marijuana is swelling. Many new states appear to be on the verge of passing laws that would permit the use of medical marijuana. Currently, there are already 18 states that have passed laws to legalize medical marijuana.
Missouri may be one of the newest states to join the rapidly growing list of medical marijuana states. The push to reform marijuana laws has moved beyond the the coastal states. A recent poll suggests that over half of Missouri residents support a physician’s right to prescribe marijuana. Yahoo.com asks if Missouri could be the next state to legalize medical marijuana, and provides a breakdown of the polling data.
Florida is also another state where the conversation is picking up. While momentum has been gaining for years in the Sunshine State, it truly seems to have hit a high water mark. Last week, we at marijuana.net spoke about John Morgan , who has now assumed the role of chairman for activists group People United for Medical Marijuana-Florida He has an incredible track record for raising money (even for President Barack Obama) and he will likely now take those skills and place tremendous pressure on lawmakers to take action. Mr. Morgan should have a captive audience as a recent poll showed that 70 percent of Florida residents support medical marijuana.
It appears that in the near future a majority of states will decide to let residents make their own choices in pain relief. If Florida or Missouri legalize medical marijuana, then there could be many other previously unexpected states to follow suit.
Marijuana Industry News March 22, 2013
Tom Ammiano Back with New California Legalization Bill…
The lack of a statewide system in place to regulate medical marijuana has plagued California since the program’s inception in 1996. A patchwork of legal fixes have either been implemented or proposed, but no effort, to date, has really solved the issue. Federal authorities would likely be less motivated to conduct raids if a uniform set of laws was instituted in California. Other states, such as Colorado have experienced far less problems with organized crime and federal interference due in large part to proper regulation at the state level. State Assemblyman, Tom Ammiano, is trying to get a bill passed that would set up a state regulated system. He has attempted this previously, only to find resistance from both law enforcement and activists. Many accused his proposal of being too vague. Mr. Ammiano is back with a new proposal and law enforcement is already issuing criticism. The bill would have marijuana be regulated like alcohol, an idea that is clearly gaining momentum as both Colorado and Washington have passed similar laws.
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Marijuana Arrests Cost NYC One Million Police Hours During Mayor Bloomberg’s Tenure as Mayor
New York’s “Stop and Frisk”, a legal loophole used by law enforcement to defeat the spirit of the state’s marijuana decriminalization bill, has been receiving considerable media attention as of late. Community organizers have been vocal in letting NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly know that they do not support the high arrests for small marijuana possession. These arrests tend to target Black and Hispanic teens. Governor Cuomo is trying to get Albany lawmakers to adopt new legislation to put an end to “Stop and Frisk”. A new statistic will likely embolden the Governor and residents who wish to see their tax dollars put to better use. According to the Drug Policy Alliance, New York City has spent over one million police hours pursuing marijuana arrests since Michael Bloomberg became mayor (11 years ago). In a city as vast and populated as New York, residents are getting fed up with the direction law enforcement has taken. Many neighborhoods are still dangerous and police may be able to utilize their time in a way that would help the city. The relationship between police and residents has degenerated, due in large part to “Stop and Frisk.”
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Push For Medical Marijuana in Florida Gets Huge Financial Support…
Although many associate Florida with retirees, the Sunshine State is also known for its large number of indoor marijuana grows. Even though penalty and cultivation penalties are harsh in Florida, the black market for marijuana is tremendous, especially as so many seek physical relief. Past efforts to legalize marijuana in Florida have failed. However, activists may find more success as they are about to be bankrolled by two top democratic fundraisers in Florida. One the individuals is John Morgan, who recently became the chairman of the People United for Medical Marijuana-Florida. The group has previously struggled to raise enough money to get their message out. Kim Russell, the group’s founder recently said they “were just scraping pennies together” to get by. John Morgan appears ready to take his successful political fundraising techniques to the group. Earlier this week he said “I’m prepared to keep raising money and writing checks until I get the signatures to put it on the ballot.” Political analysts are wondering how influential John Morgan’s fundraising can be, especially as he has raised considerable funds for high profile candidates, including President Barack Obama.