INSIDER
How would Amendment 3 be implemented if passed? It may depend on who your sheriff is, former officer says
Read full article: How would Amendment 3 be implemented if passed? It may depend on who your sheriff is, former officer saysWhile voters still have to decide Amendment 3, which if passed, would legalize recreational use of marijuana it would not take effect for six months. This story looks at what happens during that six month window that anyone interested in using recreational marijuana should know.
‘Nothing appeals to children’: Trulieve wants to set the record straight about anti-pot ads
Read full article: ‘Nothing appeals to children’: Trulieve wants to set the record straight about anti-pot adsOne new anti-pot ad boasts that weed is packaged like candy and could endanger children. That sent the CEO of one of the biggest marijuana companies in Florida and the nation on a mission to “set the record straight.”
Florida officials share different perspectives on marijuana legalization
Read full article: Florida officials share different perspectives on marijuana legalizationIn an ad that ran Monday morning, viewers can hear Bradford County Sheriff Gordon Smith say no one has arrested more people for marijuana than he has.
Bradford sheriff, former Jacksonville sheriff back Florida marijuana legalization amendment
Read full article: Bradford sheriff, former Jacksonville sheriff back Florida marijuana legalization amendmentAmendment 3, the ballot initiative that would legalize marijuana for adults in Florida, is getting support from some unexpected places.
Hemp industry backs group fighting against Florida marijuana legalization
Read full article: Hemp industry backs group fighting against Florida marijuana legalizationMultiple Smoke Shops tell News4Jax they'll lose money is recreational marijuana is legalized in Florida as hemp-based products will be less in demand.
Marijuana madness: The lows of lighting up
Read full article: Marijuana madness: The lows of lighting upVoters in 11 states will be going to the polls in 2024 to legalize cannabis. A new Pew Research poll says nine in ten Americans say marijuana should be legal for medical or recreational use, and a recent Gallup showed that Americans’ reported marijuana smoking has more than doubled in the last decade.
Mayor Deegan supports Amendment 3 on marijuana legalization: report
Read full article: Mayor Deegan supports Amendment 3 on marijuana legalization: reportJacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan expressed her support for Amendment 3, a November ballot initiative that if approved would legalize the use of marijuana in Florida for those 21 years and older, according to a report by Florida Politics.
Fact Check: If passed, would recreational marijuana tax money benefit Florida schools?
Read full article: Fact Check: If passed, would recreational marijuana tax money benefit Florida schools?Amendment 3 commercial claims recreational marijuana sales tax will lead to "safer communities and schools". We are finding out if this is 100% accurate.
UNF Poll: Florida amendments to legalize marijuana, enshrine abortion rights continue to have strong support
Read full article: UNF Poll: Florida amendments to legalize marijuana, enshrine abortion rights continue to have strong supportA UNF poll of likely voters in Florida released on Tuesday found strong support for amendments that would legalize marijuana and enshrine abortion rights in the state.
Gov. DeSantis has come out strongly against marijuana legalization. We fact-checked some of his recent statements
Read full article: Gov. DeSantis has come out strongly against marijuana legalization. We fact-checked some of his recent statementsFlorida Gov. Ron DeSantis is openly opposed to stinking up the state of Florida with adult-use marijuana.
Feds warn cannabis sellers to stop using packaging that looks like food popular with children
Read full article: Feds warn cannabis sellers to stop using packaging that looks like food popular with childrenThe FTC and FDA are calling out five sellers of edible cannabis products using packaging that imitates foods popular with kids.
As the US moves to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, could more states legalize it?
Read full article: As the US moves to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, could more states legalize it?A federal proposal to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug has raised the hopes of some pot backers that more states will embrace cannabis.
DEA pushes to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug. But what does this mean for Florida?
Read full article: DEA pushes to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug. But what does this mean for Florida?Following the Drug Enforcement Administration’s push to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, News4JAX is looking into what the change could mean and impact the industry in Florida.
Massive indoor marijuana farm in Palatka ready to expand if legalization approved by voters in November
Read full article: Massive indoor marijuana farm in Palatka ready to expand if legalization approved by voters in NovemberOn Thursday, News4JAX got a behind-the-scenes look at Green Dragon Florida's facility where they’re cultivating and processing medical marijuana.
DeSantis: ‘This state will start to smell like marijuana’ if drug is legalized and it will ‘reduce the quality of life’
Read full article: DeSantis: ‘This state will start to smell like marijuana’ if drug is legalized and it will ‘reduce the quality of life’Gov. Ron DeSantis said he’s against a proposed constitutional amendment that would make recreational marijuana legal in Florida.One of the main reasons he’s against it? The smell.
How would recreational marijuana legalization in Florida affect the court system? Duval’s public defender weighs in
Read full article: How would recreational marijuana legalization in Florida affect the court system? Duval’s public defender weighs inThis November, Florida voters will decide if they want to make recreational marijuana legal.
TELL US: With recreational marijuana use on Florida’s November ballot, do you plan to vote for or against it?
Read full article: TELL US: With recreational marijuana use on Florida’s November ballot, do you plan to vote for or against it?The Florida Supreme Court on Monday approved a recreational marijuana constitutional amendment for the November ballot. That means you get to vote on legalizing pot.
Could Florida be next state to legalize recreational marijuana? Supporters want you to decide
Read full article: Could Florida be next state to legalize recreational marijuana? Supporters want you to decideThe proposal aims to give voters the choice of legalizing recreational marijuana use for individuals aged 21 and older.
TELL US: How would you feel if Florida legalized recreational marijuana for adults?
Read full article: TELL US: How would you feel if Florida legalized recreational marijuana for adults?The Florida Supreme Court will hear arguments Wednesday about a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow recreational use of marijuana by people ages 21 and older.
Ohio votes to legalize marijuana for adult recreational use, becoming 24th state to do so
Read full article: Ohio votes to legalize marijuana for adult recreational use, becoming 24th state to do soOhio voters approved a measure legalizing recreational marijuana on Tuesday, defying Republican legislative leaders who had failed to pass the proposed law.
FDA, FTC tell sellers of edible Delta 8 to stop marketing products to young children
Read full article: FDA, FTC tell sellers of edible Delta 8 to stop marketing products to young childrenThe FTC and FDA are sending cease and desist letters to sellers of edible Delta 8 products and telling them to stop marketing products that may entice young children.
Recreational pot proposal clears initial hurdle to make 2024 Florida ballot
Read full article: Recreational pot proposal clears initial hurdle to make 2024 Florida ballotBackers of a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow recreational use of marijuana have passed a preliminary hurdle to get on the 2024 ballot, submitting more than enough petition signatures to trigger a Florida Supreme Court review of the measure.
Petition aims to put recreational marijuana to Florida voters in 2024
Read full article: Petition aims to put recreational marijuana to Florida voters in 2024“Adult Personal Use of Marijuana" would allow anyone at least 21 years old to be able to possess or buy marijuana products and accessories for non-medical reasons.
Local doctor thinks sweeping changes of marijuana laws could be right around the corner
Read full article: Local doctor thinks sweeping changes of marijuana laws could be right around the cornerPresident Biden called for state-level action to provide additional relief for people with low-level marijuana convictions. While Georgians and Floridians wait to see how their state's respond to President Biden's call to action, a local doctor thinks sweeping changes of marijuana laws, could be right around the corner.
TELL US: What do you think of President Biden’s pardon of thousands for simple marijuana charges?
Read full article: TELL US: What do you think of President Biden’s pardon of thousands for simple marijuana charges?President Joe Biden is pardoning thousands of Americans convicted of “simple possession” of marijuana under federal law.
Older adults are using marijuana more than ever before
Read full article: Older adults are using marijuana more than ever beforeLast year, the proportion of adults 65 or older who reported recent cannabis use jumped by 18%, according to the 2020 National Survey of Drug Use and Health released last week.
Governor candidate Crist calls for full marijuana legalization
Read full article: Governor candidate Crist calls for full marijuana legalizationDemocrat Charlie Crist, a candidate for governor of Florida, said Thursday he supports full marijuana legalization in the state and wants the expungement of all existing charges and sentences for misdemeanors and third-degree felonies for marijuana possession.
Video: Trooper saves man choking on bag of marijuana after getting pulled over
Read full article: Video: Trooper saves man choking on bag of marijuana after getting pulled overAn Ohio State Patrol Trooper performed the Heimlich Maneuver and saved a man’s life on Thursday after he swallowed marijuana.
Federal agents track down 46 lbs. of pot in luggage at Jacksonville train station
Read full article: Federal agents track down 46 lbs. of pot in luggage at Jacksonville train stationFederal agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration Jacksonville District Office on Wednesday seized 46 pounds of hydroponic marijuana that were smuggled into Jacksonville on an Amtrak train from New York.
Marijuana farms contributing to climate change, research shows
Read full article: Marijuana farms contributing to climate change, research showsJACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Growing cannabis indoors is racking up energy production, resulting in large amounts of damaging gases that warm Earth. Electric usage is the highest across the southeast leading to increased CO2 emissions from indoor cannabis cultivation. In Jacksonville, the need for dehumidifiers and air conditioning adds about 1,500 kilograms of emissions to every kilogram of product. The island relies primarily on burning oil for electricity, boosting emissions to over 5,000 kilograms per kilogram of product. As it turns out, Southern California’s moderate climate and renewable power makes it a prime location for the lowest emissions.
Man who was serving 90-year sentence for marijuana released
Read full article: Man who was serving 90-year sentence for marijuana releasedFORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – While serving a 90-year prison sentence for selling marijuana, Richard DeLisi's wife died, as did his 23-year-old son and both his parents. DeLisi was sentenced to 90 years for marijuana trafficking in 1989 at the age of 40 even though the typical sentence was only 12 to 17 years. Rick DeLisi was only 11-years-old when he sat in the courtroom and said goodbye to his father. Is there somebody that can answer to this?”Rick DeLisi said his family fell apart after his father's sentence. “There's a feeling of who's responsible for this debt in my mind, and justice," said Rick DeLisi.
The unexpected winner on election night? Drugs
Read full article: The unexpected winner on election night? DrugsWhile we may not know if President Donald Trump or former Vice President Joe Biden won the presidential election for a while longer, there was one clear “winner” on election night, and that was recreational drugs. States across the country have been legalizing recreational marijuana every election cycle, and 2020 was no different. Residents in New Jersey, Arizona, Montana and South Dakota all voted to legalize recreational cannabis, and South Dakota also legalized medical marijuana, along with Mississippi. South Dakota became the first state to legalize medical and recreational marijuana in the same election. For the first time in U.S. history, the state of Oregon decriminalized possession of hard drugs, as well as voted to legalize psychedelic mushrooms.
$408-million of cocaine, marijuana seized by U.S. Coast Guard
Read full article: $408-million of cocaine, marijuana seized by U.S. Coast GuardMIAMI – The Coast Guard Cutter James (WMSL-754) crew offloaded approximately 23,000 pounds of cocaine and approximately 6,900 pounds of marijuana, all worth more than an estimated $408 million, Tuesday in Port Everglades. "It is important to note that our fellow citizens aren't the only ones who benefit from these counter-narcotics efforts. Our Central American neighbors face tremendous strain from drug-fueled violence sparked by transnational criminal organizations. Efforts like this enhanced counter-drug operation significantly disrupt the criminal activity destabilizing the region." The cutter James is a 418-foot national security cutter home ported in Charleston, South Carolina.