JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis hosted a panel Thursday morning in Cape Coral to urge Floridians to vote “no” on Amendment 3, which would legalize the personal use of marijuana for those 21 years and older.
His wife and First Lady of Florida Casey DeSantis also spoke out against the amendment on Thursday afternoon in Jacksonville. Casey DeSantis was joined by Florida sheriffs including Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters and Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook who all said legalization would be bad for the state.
“The last time I checked, we already have legal marijuana, medical marijuana. They already have 600 stores around the state. We don’t need it everywhere else for recreation. It’s just not smart. It’s not right and the state of Florida should not pass just this amendment,” Waters said.
Casey and Ron DeSantis’ main argument against the amendment revolved around the company behind a multimillion-dollar dollar push to legalize weed, Trulieve. They said the amendment was written to benefit and “shield” that company from liability and accountability.
“You are not allowed to grow your own weed in your backyard and use it. You can only buy and utilize weed if you purchase it from the big weed cartel that they create in this constitutional amendment,” Gov. DeSantis said. “This is not about freedom, this is about corporate profit and corporate greed.”
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Casey and Ron DeSantis also said the amendment will have a negative impact on the youth.
“What’s happened in California and Colorado, they’re not allowed to sell to minors, but they package it and things that look like Sour Patch Kids or all these other things, and it ends up being sold to minors, maybe through the back door,” Gov. DeSantis said.
“This is our opportunity to stand up and to say no and vote no to Amendment 3,” Casey DeSantis said.
On Wednesday, News4JAX spoke with the CEO of Trulieve, Kim Rivers, to address an anti-pot ad that claims that weed is packaged like candy and could endanger children.
Rivers gave News4JAX a live demonstration of exactly how marijuana products are packaged. The products are white and opaque with no colors at all on the packaging. That’s a requirement under Florida law she said doesn’t expect to change if recreational weed is legalized in November.
MORE | ‘Nothing appeals to children’: Trulieve wants to set the record straight about anti-pot ads
DeSantis, who was joined by Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, Hardee County Sheriff Vent Crawford, a mother, and a local restaurant owner said if passed, Amendment 3 will “forever change the culture of Florida,” and that it would be difficult to reverse it in the future.
“The summary does not give you what you need. You really got to read the whole thing,” DeSantis said.
MORE | Casey DeSantis, Florida surgeon general, Polk County sheriff speak out against marijuana amendment
As with all statewide ballot initiatives, Amendment 3 will require voter approval of 60% to pass. The Florida legislature will have to approve regulations for adult-use marijuana if it’s passed in the fall, much like the process for medical marijuana.
Supporters of recreational marijuana argue that legalization allows for quality control and regulation which would give consumers access to safer products. Bradford County Sheriff Gordon Smith said legalizing marijuana would allow law enforcement to focus on more serious crimes.
“Would you rather have an adult purchasing marijuana from the drug dealer or would you rather have them purchasing it in a store that is regulated, controlled and taxed?” Smith said.
According to a report from the Florida Financial Impact Estimating Conference released in July of 2023, recreational marijuana would also generate sales tax revenue of between $195 million and $431 million a year in Florida. These sales tax dollars would mostly go to the state, just like any other sales tax. However, there’s currently no plan to direct the money to any specific use.
Some states that have legalized recreational marijuana have created separate excise taxes on top of regular sales taxes, with specific uses for those added tax dollars.
Fact Check: If passed, would recreational marijuana tax money benefit Florida schools?
In Arizona:
• 34% of the proceeds go to community college districts
• 34% go to public safety, including police and fire departments
• 25% goes to the highway user revenue fund
In Oregon:
• 40% of cannabis taxes go to a state school fund
• 20% goes to mental health treatment or for alcohol and drug abuse prevention, early intervention, and treatment
• 15% goes to the state police
• 10% goes to cities
• 10% goes to counties
• 5% goes back to the Oregon Health Authority for a separate program
Lawmakers would need to create additional taxes to direct the marijuana tax money for specific uses, if passed.
A total of 24 states, plus the District of Columbia have legalized the recreational use of marijuana.