The debate showed just how far apart the opposing sides are, even after the amendment has gained an unusual mix of endorsements from former President Donald Trump and the Florida Democratic Party.
Florida voters to decide on recreational marijuana on November ballot
Monday’s Florida Supreme Court ruling sends the issue of marijuana’s recreational use in the state to the voters this November.
During a Tuesday debate in Tallahassee over Florida’s recreational marijuana ballot measure, both sides urged the audience to read its language — but their takeaways couldn’t have been more different.
Jessica Spencer, director of advocacy for the campaign against the measure, Vote No on 3, told the audience that the state Legislature wouldn’t be able to regulate the substance. That’s a common line from opponents, including Gov. Ron DeSantis.
“This does allow for public smoking,” said Spencer at the event, hosted by the Capital Tiger Bay Club at the city’s Tucker Center and moderated by veteran Capitol reporter Dara Kam of the News Service of Florida.
That was strongly rebuffed by Steve Vancore, who represented the group running the pro-recreational marijuana campaign, Smart & Safe Florida. He recited a line from the measure’s language that reads, “Nothing in this amendment prohibits the Legislature from enacting laws that are consistent with this amendment.”
“It takes it off the streets and into a well-regulated, lab-tested market,” said Vancore, also the president of VancoreJones Communications. “So if you’re one of those one in six Americans who chooses to consume marijuana on a regular basis, you’re not exposed to dangerous chemicals.”
Spencer cited the same line as Vancore, but said public use restrictions wouldn’t be “consistent” with the amendment.
Amendment 3, if it gets at least 60% of the vote, would allow non-medical marijuana possession of up to 3 ounces, with no more than 5 grams in concentrated form, for those who are 21 years old and up.
The debate showed just how far apart the opposing sides are, even after the amendment has gained an unusual mix of endorsements from former President Donald Trump and the Florida Democratic Party.
Spencer blasted the amendment as a way for Trulieve, Florida’s largest medical marijuana operator, and other medical marijuana companies to “monopolize” the new market. Trulieve has contributed the vast majority of the funding for the pro-amendment campaign.
DeSantis himself has recently said, “This is being put forward by big corporate weed companies to give themselves a cartel.”
The amendment allows medical marijuana companies to sell recreational product. But it also emphasizes that the Legislature “may provide for the licensure of entities that are not Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers to acquire, cultivate, possess, process, transfer, transport, sell, and distribute marijuana products and marijuana accessories for personal use by adult.”
“What that means is we’re helping fund an initiative that would create competition for us,” said Vancore, who is also a spokesperson for Trulieve.
“You don’t spend ($83 million) because you’re trying to create competition,” Spencer replied. “You spend it because you’re trying to create consumers.”
Florida has 25 registered medical marijuana companies. Vancore pointed out that there were fewer grocery store chains.
“The governor is the one complaining about a limited market, but he’s the same one limiting that market,” Vancore said, pointing to pending medical marijuana licenses and the expensive costs of those licenses.
Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried called for sweeping changes to the state’s marijuana regulatory structure on Tuesday morning, with a goal of opening up the market to more companies.
More: Fried says marijuana industry needs overhaul if adult-use pot approved by Florida voters
The two sides at Tuesday’s Tiger Bay debate also didn’t agree on the role weed’s illegality has had on the criminal justice system.
Vancore said the amendment would end most weed arrests, adding that this would create cost savings for police and jails that no longer had to process people arrested for possession.
Spencer called that a “false narrative” and said no one was being arrested for marijuana possession alone — something DeSantis has repeatedly asserted.
In their closing statements, both again emphasized the public should read the amendment language, one of the only areas where the two agreed.
“Amendment 3 isn’t about freedom or improving our way of life,” Spencer said. “It’s about corporate greed.”
“Let’s get this stuff off the streets where people can be exposed to life-altering chemical additives,” Vancore said, in contrast. “They’re already using it. Let’s make it safe.”
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.
Source link : https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/09/17/sides-cant-agree-on-basics-in-florida-recreational-marijuana-debate/75264984007/
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Publish date : 2024-09-17 09:50:00
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