Major marijuana-related campaign donations late in campaign

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Proponents and opponents of cannabis legalization are gearing up for the final stretch of the 2016 political campaign, and for both camps that means some big last-minute donations.

In Florida, casino mogul Sheldon Adelson – who funded most of the anti-medical marijuana ads two years ago – has jumped back into the fray with a $1 million donation to Drug Free Florida, the Sunshine State News reported. Adelson, who is reportedly worth more than $30 billion, gave $5.5 million to fight MMJ legalization in 2014 in Florida. But Adelson so far has not contributed to combating adult use legalization in Nevada, where he lives, even though a rec legalization measure will be on the November ballot there.

Drug Free Florida has raised a total of $2.8 million during the election cycle, according to Florida records.

On the flip side, the pro-cannabis California company Dr. Bronner’s has promised to donate as much as $660,000 to legalization campaigns in the five states that will vote on adult use cannabis measures in November, including Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts and Nevada, the Denver Post reported.

While the maker of body care products is working in cooperation with the Marijuana Policy Project and New Approach, it was not immediately clear how the money would be divvied up among the campaigns, and how much would go to which states.