Wading into the weed debate, former President Donald Trump stated his position on a proposed amendment to the Florida Constitution while urging “it should be done correctly.”
With Election Day little more than two months away, the GOP leader veered from his national campaign messaging Saturday to target a specific ballot initiative in his home state. As polls repeatedly showed voters in favor of legalizing recreational marijuana in Florida, the president addressed the writing on the wall, “Whether people like it or not,” as he encouraged the legislature to act to prevent the smell “everywhere we go.”
He began his lengthy Truth Social post by stating, “As everyone knows, I was, and will be again, the most respected LAW & ORDER President in U.S. History. We will take our streets back by being tough & smart on violent, & all other types, of Crime.”
From there, he signaled his support for Amendment 3, seeking to allow the sale of marijuana from licensed companies to adults over the age of 21 for recreational use, permitting possession of up to three ounces.
“In Florida, like so many other States that have already given their approval, personal amounts of marijuana will be legalized for adults with Amendment 3. Whether people like it or not, this will happen through the approval of the Voters, so it should be done correctly,” said Trump who urged, “We need the State Legislature to responsibly create laws that prohibit the use of it in public spaces, so we do not smell marijuana everywhere we go, like we do in many of the Democrat run Cities. At the same time, someone should not be a criminal in Florida, when this is legal in so many other States.”
“We do not need to ruin lives & waste Taxpayer Dollars arresting adults with personal amounts of it on them, and no one should grieve a loved one because they died from fentanyl laced marijuana,” added the president. “We will make America SAFE again!”
In order for the amendment to be adopted, a threshold of 60% is required on Election Day.
Trump’s favor for the effort comes as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and officials from the governor’s administration had highlighted the concerning connections that leading proponents in the state had with corporate interests that stood to gain from the legalization of marijuana.
DeSantis’ chief of staff James Uthmeier reacted to a post from the governor’s press secretary Jeremy Redfern after the latter had called out state Sen. Joe Gruters (R) who lauded Trump’s position.
“How much has Joe Gruters, who is preparing to run for a statewide office, taken from one large marijuana corporation that has funded over $70M towards this efforts?” asked Redfern as Uthmeier wrote, “It’s a shame that someone like @JoeGruters would support an amendment that has virtually no checks on where and how marijuana can be consumed–putting kids at risk. Someone should check who has given him political $ and then see who is backing this amendment. Hmmm…”
It’s a shame that someone like @JoeGruters would support an amendment that has virtually no checks on where and how marijuana can be consumed—putting kids at risk. Someone should check who has given him political $ and then see who is backing this amendment. Hmmm… https://t.co/2ImsxHQqUD
— James Uthmeier (@JamesUthmeierFL) August 31, 2024
Trump’s latest voting preference came after he previously signaled that he was a “no” vote on Amendment 4, an effort by activists to combat the state’s six week ban on abortion with an aim to enshrine a 24 week limit in the state constitution.
“All of that stuff is unacceptable so I will be voting no for that reason,” he had said to Fox News’ Bryan Llenas as he pointed to lax restrictions in other states.
Trump siding with the popular stance among Sunshine State voters also further positioned him in contrast to Vice President Kamala Harris who has routinely faced criticism for the high number of marijuana convictions while she served as district attorney of San Francisco.
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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