JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A record amount of money is supporting the effort to legalize recreational marijuana in Florida.
It’s the fifth attempt to legalize marijuana in the state and a Jacksonville native is leading the fundraising efforts, donating $65 million to the Smart & Safe campaign – a political committee backing legalization.
Kim Rivers is the CEO of Trulieve. With 200 dispensaries in Florida alone, the company is considered the world’s largest legal cannabis retailer.
“I grew up in East Arlington, and my father was a police officer JSO for over 20 years, and my mother was a fourth-grade teacher at Merrill Road,” Rivers said.
RELATED | Fact Check: If passed, would recreational marijuana tax money benefit Florida schools?
Rivers wore Terry Parker Red and a “Yes On 3” pin to her interview with News4JAX.
“First of all, I have my Terry Parker brave colors on, so I think that’s really important. Go Braves!” she said.
Her pin is in support of Amendment 3. The ballot initiative would allow adults 21 years and older to possess up to three ounces of cannabis.
Smart & Safe Florida has raised $71.6 million to help pass the amendment. Most of that funding has come from Trulieve, and state finance campaign records show the company has donated $65.39 million.
“A large part of that funding, actually about $40 million of that, was simply to get it to Supreme Court review,” Rivers said. “And then now we’re super excited that we have a coalition of supporters who have donated alongside of us for the effort to really educate. And that’s what I’m so excited about. The Yes on Three effort is that we now have an opportunity to have conversations about what is adult-use marijuana, what is it not?”
Rivers says education is at the core of Smart & Safe efforts. If you walk into any Trulieve location, there are multiple opportunities to learn about the “Yes on 3” campaign.
Part of that push is the idea that “Freedom Doesn’t Stink.” Many who have shared their opposition to Amendment 3 have brought up concerns about the smell of marijuana.
Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters was recently asked for his opinion on Amendment 3 at a town hall last week.
“I don’t agree with it. I don’t like it,” Waters said. “Why do I have to smell everyone’s marijuana smoke? My stance is, I don’t think it’s good for our city, I don’t think it’s good for our state.”
Unlike other states that have legalized pot, Rivers said Florida’s Amendment 3 has guardrails to ensure that public spaces will remain smoke-free, with the same restrictions as tobacco.
“Listen, I am a mom of two middle schoolers. I agree that I don’t want to smell it everywhere either and the great news is, that with Amendment 3, that will not happen,” Rivers said.
MORE | Mayor Deegan supports Amendment 3 on marijuana legalization: report
Three committees are currently opposing Smart & Safe Florida.
The latest state finance campaign records show that Governor Ron DeSantis’s Florida Freedom Fund has raised $2.5 million to fight Amendment 3. Among the local donors are Best Bet, the Jacksonville and Orange Park Kennel Clubs, and Aubrey Edge, the CEO of First Coast Energy and the founder of Daily’s.