Companies pour money into recreational pot drive
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Two medical-marijuana companies last month continued pouring money into a ballot initiative aimed at legalizing recreational marijuana in Florida.
The political committee Make It Legal Florida received $1,083,920 in contributions in November, with almost all of the money coming from Surterra Holdings, Inc. and MM Enterprises USA, LLC, according to a newly filed finance report. Surterra, which operates under the name Parallel, contributed $544,000, while MM Enterprises, which operates as MedMen, contributed $534,000 in cash and $5,000 in in-kind staffing.
The two companies have almost totally funded the political committee, which had raised --- and spent --- more than $3.7 million as of Nov. 30. The committee is seeking to pass a constitutional amendment in November 2020 that would allow adults 21 or older to “possess, use, purchase, display, and transport up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana and marijuana accessories for personal use for any reason.”
It would need to submit 766,200 signatures by a February deadline to get on ballot. As of early Tuesday afternoon, the state Division of Elections had tallied 134,821 signatures for the initiative. The ballot wording also would need approval from the Florida Supreme Court.