Florida elections 2024: 6 amendments on the ballot for Nov. 5
Six constitutional amendments, including recreational marijuana and abortion access, will be on Florida ballots for the Nov. 5, 2024 general election.
Former President Donald Trump has signaled support for a Florida ballot measure that would allow recreational marijuana, saying its legalization is inevitable.
“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,” Trump, the 2024 Republican presidential nominee, wrote in a social media post. “Whether people like it or not, this will happen through the approval of the Voters, so it should be done correctly.”
His statement follows a muddled response to the abortion access amendment that’s also coming before Florida voters in November. After making it appear like he was open to the measure, which would overturn the state’s six-week abortion ban, Trump came out in opposition Friday.
His support also runs contrary to the position of the Florida Republican Party and Gov. Ron DeSantis, who are working alongside two political committees to beat back the amendment.
The marijuana measure, Amendment 3, would allow non-medical marijuana possession of up to 3 ounces, with no more than 5 grams in concentrated form, for those 21 years old and up.
That’s only if it gets 60% of the vote.
“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,” Trump wrote in his statement.
In not opposing the policy, Trump might be increasing its chances of passing, according to industry experts.
“Amendment 3 enjoys strong bipartisan support from Florida voters, and President Trump’s support could prove pivotal for meeting the 60% threshold required to become law,” said David Culver, senior vice president of public affairs for the U.S. Cannabis Council, in an emailed statement. “We look forward to hearing more from him about how he would approach cannabis reform if elected this November.”
Trump’s Saturday morning remarks come a month after conservative state Sen. Joe Gruters, a former state Republican Party chair, endorsed the amendment. Gruters is a stalwart Trump ally, and the former president has endorsed him in his 2026 run for state chief financial officer to succeed term-limited Republican Jimmy Patronis.
Gruters and a contingent of bipartisan lawmakers are pushing legislation in 2025 that would ban smoking and vaping on city streets, sidewalks, public parks and most common areas by the public.
“Marijuana should be consumed at home, and I will work alongside my colleagues in the legislature to ensure Florida does this right,” Gruters wrote on X, while heralding Trump’s support for the measure.
The measure comes before voters on the Nov. 5 ballot.
“Someone should not be a criminal in Florida, when this is legal in so many other States,” Trump wrote. “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.
Other conservative lawmakers pushed back on Gruters’ and Trump’s approach, arguing the amendment pushed and funded by medical marijuana juggernaut Trulieve was engineered to “prevent reasonable restrictions” by lawmakers.
“Amendment 3 was written to protect a profitable business model,” State Sen. Jonathan Martin, R-Fort Myers, wrote on X. “That framework is problematic.”
This reporting content is supported by a partnership with Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners. USA Today Network-Florida First Amendment reporter Douglas Soule can be reached at DSoule@gannett.com.
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Publish date : 2024-08-31 06:44:00
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