A mid-August poll by Florida Atlantic University and Mainstreet Research USA revealed that, even though it was still behind the needed threshold for passage, a constitutional amendment which would legalize marijuana in Florida was gaining traction among voters ahead of November's election.
And now, you can count Trump as its highest profile supporter. In a post on his Truth Social website, Trump wrote:
"As I have previously stated, I believe it is time to end needless arrests and incarcerations of adults for small amounts of marijuana for personal use. We must also implement smart regulations, while providing access for adults, to safe, tested product. As a Floridian, I will be voting YES to Amendment 3 this November."
The former president's stance, however, has sparked criticism from some Republicans in the state and beyond. Most notably, his position is at odds with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who has publicly opposed the marijuana amendment, saying it would reduce the quality of life in Florida cities by leaving a marijuana stench in the air, as The Associated Press reports.
Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis also fervently opposes the amendment, warning that it would create a permanent right to smoke marijuana in public places and give undue power to large marijuana corporations:
Amendment 3 creates a permanent, constitutional right to possess over 100 joints at a time and SMOKE ANYWHERE in Florida—even public places where it could more easily fall into the hands of children.
— Casey DeSantis (@CaseyDeSantis) September 9, 2024
What’s more, it creates a monopoly & blanket legal immunity for big weed… https://t.co/Fv5eXDW6t2
The Florida GOP itself has a special section on its website dedicated to its opposition of Amendment 3, which it claims "makes Florida more liberal":
"Under Amendment 3, there's NOTHING stopping the constant use of recreational marijuana in hotels, restaurants, on beaches, or even around our children. And if you want to stop it, that's too bad. The authors of the legislation didn't put restrictions on its use."
Opposition to the marijuana legalization is not restricted to state Republicans either. As NBC News reports, GOP Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana recently stated that while he supports medicinal marijuana under a doctor's orders, he's "not even close to being ready to legalize another substance that changes your view of the world."
Republican Senator Kevin Cramer of North Dakota is also quoted as saying the use of recreational cannabis is "not a great idea" and that he is "personally not ready to vote for it for recreational use in North Dakota, nor nationally."
Trump's position on this issue seems to follow a trend of his adopting relatively moderate stances on social issues, including abortion, which has drawn ire from his conservative base.
As Newsweek reports, quoting Stuart Stevens, former chief strategist for Mitt Romney:
"Donald Trump, he's on both sides of so many of these issues. I mean, within an hour he reversed himself on what position he was going to take on the abortion referendum in Florida. It's because there's nothing there except this desire to be president, this desire to be in control ... so he'll say anything."
© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
