An unlikely voice has joined the drug policy activists calling on Florida lawmakers to come back in special session focused on medical marijuana: The Drug Free America Foundation, which opposes medical marijuana and whose founders spent nearly $10 million trying to kill the 2014 and 2016 constitutional amendments to legalize medical cannabis.
In a letter sent late last week, Drug Free America’s executive director Calvina Fay urged Senate President Joe Negron to join the call for a special session.
“The legislature has an obligation to find a balance that protects the public health and safety of all Floridians while allowing for legal access of marijuana that was approved by voters,” Fay wrote. “It is imperative that our legislators take action and not allow the marijuana industry to operate as it does in some states with no regards to public health and safety.”
Drug Free America was founded in St. Petersburg in 1995 by wealthy conservative financiers Mel and Betty Sembler after a controversial drug treatment program they founded called Straight Inc. was shut down following accusations of abusing teen participants. The foundation does not engage in treatment but instead focuses on advocacy and shaping drug policy.
Among their advocacy: Drug Free America and its lobbying arm, Save Our Society from Drugs, gave state lawmakers a list of suggestions for policy this session as the Florida Legislature worked to implement Amendment 2, which was passed by 71 percent of voters. Many of them made it into early versions of a House bill and several looked likely to survive in final legislation that the Legislature failed to reach a compromise on in session’s eleventh hour.
The Semblers and others on the Drug Free America board of directors were among the strongest voices opposed to Amendment 2, which requires the state to write rules allowing patients with a list of conditions including HIV/AIDS, cancer, PTSD and multiple sclerosis to use medical marijuana by July 3.
Mel and Betty Sembler gave $1 million in 2016 and $100,000 in 2014 to the political committee opposing Amendment 2, called Drug Free Florida. They also brought in support from other anti-drug campaign donors including Las Vegas casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, who gave $7 million over the course of both campaigns.
Drug Free America’s letter calling for a special session brings the group in a rare point of agreement with the two men who were behind the Amendment 2 campaign: Ben Pollara and John Morgan, who separately called for a special session weeks ago.
Unlike Pollara and Morgan, who want to see a more open market (though their definitions of what makes the market open and what limits government ought to set have led to a high-profile feud between them), Fay wrote in the letter to Negron that Drug Free America wants to see restrictions in whatever legislation might pass the House and Senate.
The existing, small medical marijuana industry, Fay wrote, is “operating outside of what the proposed rules and regulations would allow.”
Demands for lawmakers to come back to Tallahassee are growing among elected officials as well. While Negron has not yet committed to a special session — and would be unlikely to unless differences between the House and Senate legislation can be settled first — House Speaker Richard Corcoran has openly endorsed bringing lawmakers back to complete the will of 71 percent of voters.
As well, more than two dozen lawmakers from both parties have publicly said they want a special session. Two gubernatorial candidates have joined the calls as well: Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam, a Republican, and former Congresswoman Gwen Graham, a Democrat.
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