Florida billionaire Carol Jenkins Barnett, who is heir to the supermarket chain Publix, is reportedly behind an $800,000 donation to Drug Free Florida, an organization that is fighting against medical marijuana legalization in the Sunshine State.
The Jenkins Barnett Family Trust made the donation on July 14, the Miami New Times reported this week.
Barnett is worth $1.8 billion herself and owns 5% of Publix as the chain’s largest shareholder. She also gave half a million to Drug Free Florida two years ago, when MMJ legalization failed narrowly at the ballot box.
Ben Pollara, the campaign manager for United for Care, which is behind the legalization measure, said he thinks Barnett is “pissing away her money.”
A recently released poll by United for Care found that 77% of Floridians support legalizing medical cannabis.
