The group opposed to legalizing medical marijuana in Florida is back for round two to oppose a constitutional amendment legalizing the drug for medical purposes in 2016.
Vote No On 2 released a new video Monday highlighting the potential dangers of legalizing medical marijuana in the Sunshine State.
The new spot -- called "Search" -- is an ad entirely based on an unknown man's Google research for medical marijuana in California.
The video opens with an intro that medical marijuana is back on the ballot in Florida this year, but says nothing about the amendment language had been changed to avoid the problems it had in 2014.
The narrator says the amendment would allow "anyone, anywhere" to purchase medical marijuana and then goes on to research pot dispensaries in California to see whether actual pharmacies like Walgreens are dispensing the drug.
The narrator's search comes up short. Instead, he finds hundreds of medical marijuana dispensaries in the area, none of which have official pharmacy names attached.
“If they want to legalize pot, they should just say so and let the voters decide," the narrator says. "Instead, they’re trying to trick everyone again. Looks like Amendment 2 is still scam to legalize pot.”
The group contends that the constitutional amendment is simply a "loophole" which would allow people who aren't legitimate doctors to prescribe the drug. The group also says the amendment's definition of "debilitating conditions" is too broad and doesn't have enough limitations to keep medical pot out of the hands of those who don't necessarily need it.
Vote No On 2 also has an issue with a provision of the constitutional amendment which would allow teenagers over the age of 18 to start buying pot before reaching the legal drinking age.
The anti-Amendment 2 group worked in full force when medical marijuana came to the ballot in 2014. Their efforts were largely successful, since the amendment ballot only received 58 percent of the 60 percent needed to pass.
Big bucks went into the fight against the amendment two years ago, with Drug Free Florida funneling $6 million into the campaign.
Vote No On 2 will go head-to-head with pro-Amendment 2 groups like United For Care, a group headed by Orlando attorney John Morgan.
Morgan gave millions of dollars to the campaign two years ago and has continued to push for the legalization effort.
"Change is coming soon," he tweeted last week. "Truth trumps money."
Recent polls suggest medical marijuana would do well at the polls, with some surveys showing 80 percent of Floridians in support of medical pot.
Reach reporter Allison Nielsen by email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen.
