Trump endorses pro-marijuana bill in Florida

Former President Donald Trump suggested he would vote for Florida’s Amendment 3 in a post on Truth Social, indicating he supports the legalization of marijuana in the state.

Trump’s position is in opposition to most of the state’s GOP, including Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL). Amendment 3 legalizes all marijuana possession up to three ounces.

“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,” the former president wrote.

“Whether people like it or not, this will happen through the approval of the Voters, so it should be done correctly. 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. At the same time, someone should not be a criminal in Florida, when this is legal in so many other States.”

Former Florida Republican Party Chairman and now GOP state Sen. Joe Gruters said he was “incredibly proud” that Trump was endorsing Amendment 3 and calling for “smart implementation” to prevent smoking in public. He’s one of the state’s biggest GOP proponents of the measure.

“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,” Trump continued. “We will make America SAFE again!”

DeSantis posted on X on Wednesday that Amendment 3 is “bad policy and even worse constitutional law.” He also accused it of being written “by the CEO of a weed company that has poured $70 million (and counting) into the effort so that the company gets a constitutionally-protected monopoly on the market.”

Scott said he would vote against the measure back in June, citing his brother’s struggle with substance use that started with marijuana.

Trump’s position on marijuana is not unlike positions he’s taken in the past, but it is a more outright endorsement than before. In 2018, Trump indicated he would support the STATES Act, which would leave marijuana legalization up to the states. The act never got passed during his presidency.

Amendment 3 requires 60% support in the state in order to pass. Florida would become the 25th state to legalize marijuana if it does.

A recent poll indicated voters would come up just short of legalizing marijuana, though with a majority supporting it: 57% to 34% against, with 9% not sure.