Singer-songwriter and businessman Jimmy Buffett wants Floridians to vote yes on a medical cannabis initiative and vote no on legislation regarding a solar-power plan.
Buffett made a video while filling out his Florida absentee ballot in California. In his video, he broke his message down in a simple, bilingual pitch: “No on one. Yes on two. No para uno. Si para dos.”
Amendment 1 critics like Buffet are saying that the legalese used in the amendment is deceiving voters into believing it will expand their solar-power choices while only serving to prohibit third-party sales. Homeowners and businesses should be able to sell excess solar energy they produce. That’s competition that the utility companies allegedly want to cut out.
Once the drudgery of Amendment 1 was out of the way, Buffett cheered up when talking about Amendment 2.
“Amendment 2? Medical marijuana? Duh,” Buffet said with a laugh.
If Amendment 2 passes, it would allow people suffering from debilitating medical conditions to access medical cannabis. Buffett says he used cannabis for pain after he fell off of a stage in Australia, an accident that required serious medical attention.
“I can tell you from firsthand experience that medical marijuana is a great cure,” Buffet said.
Buffet turned his 4-minute song “Margaritaville” into a slacker anthem and a chill-spot empire, acquiring vast amounts of wealth in the process. His Margaretville locations and various business ventures have made him one of the richest musicians in the world; Buffet has a reported net worth of $400 million.
Despite the fact that Amendment 2 is intentionally restricted to those with severe symptoms, opponents of medical cannabis in Florida say it’s a ‘backdoor way to outright legalization’. States like Colorado and Washington point us to the fact that outright legalization is not a bad thing at all – in fact, many would argue the exact opposite. And why should voters in any state be forced to use a ‘backdoor’ to legal recreational weed? But, baby steps are better than no steps at all.
One group of medical cannabis opponents is the Florida Medical Association (FMA). The FMA is made up of about 20,000 Florida physicians and is backed by PhRMA, one of the pharmaceutical industry’s most influential organizations. PhRMA has a history of opposing medical cannabis, spending millions to fund anti-weed campaigns throughout the U.S.
The last time Floridians voted on medical cannabis, the measure just barely failed. This year though, things seem to be different. While groups like the FMA will kick and scream, overall criticism of medical cannabis in the Sunshine State seems to have been reduced to the faint gasps of the uninformed and the financially motivated. The Florida Sheriff’s Association is no longer vocal on the matter. The University of North Florida recently released a survey stating that 73 percent of Floridians will vote yes on 2. The amendment requires 60 percent of “yes” votes to pass.
