Conservative billionaire Sheldon Adelson has bankrolled the major part of the funding to fight a Florida amendment on legalizing marijuana for medical use,
The Washington Post reports.
The casino mogul recently added another $1 million to the $4 million he’s already forked out to defeat the measure, which is said to be aimed at helping Floridians with “debilitating diseases.”
Donations from the Las Vegas Sands chairman account for 85 percent of the $5.8 million raised by Drug Free Florida, the organization headed by former drug czar Carlton Turner that’s leading the case against Amendment 2.
“For Adelson, that amount of spending is roughly equivalent to a person worth $1 million writing a $157 campaign contribution check,” says the Post’s GovBeat column.
Wealthy personal injury lawyer John Morgan and his law firm have contributed more than half the $7.6 million raised by People United for Medical Marijuana, which is a proponent of the amendment.
Morgan has been an outspoken advocate during debates across the state for legalizing medical marijuana so that people like his quadriplegic brother, Tim Morgan, can get legal access to pot for pain relief, according to the Post.
Although several polls have shown strong support for the measure, the amendment must receive 60 percent of the vote to become law, the newspaper said.