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Florida's cannabis legalization initiative, known as Amendment 3, would legalize the possession of marijuana for adults. To become law, the amendment needs at least 60% support from voters — a figure that seems to be within reach despite vehement opposition from Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida’s Republican party. The amendment will be decided in the November 2024 elections.
A newly formed DeSantis-backed coalition has now stepped into the fray with plans to defeat the initiative, which has the support of two-thirds of Florida voters, including a majority of Republicans.
That said, Vote No on 3 “has the full support of the Governor and plans to run a vigorous and full-throated campaign to warn Floridians about this deceptive amendment seeking to make Florida the California of the east — a notion anathema to most Floridians,” wrote representatives of the group in a Friday press release, reported Florida Politics.
Key figures in the campaign include James Uthmeier, DeSantis’ chief of staff, who will participate on the Vote No on 3 board in a personal capacity, and Tre’ Evers, a seasoned political consultant linked to DeSantis’ presidential campaign efforts, is serving as the general consultant, noted the outlet.
The coalition argues that legalizing marijuana would bolster the black market and increase underage usage, while complicating the regulation of public marijuana consumption.
Supporters of Amendment 3, represented by Morgan Hill of Smart & Safe Florida, argue that the initiative in fact offers a safer, regulated alternative to the current unregulated market, emphasizing consumer safety and freedom over criminalization.
Opposition to Amendment 3 is partly funded by a large contribution from hemp industry leaders, who recently donated $5 million to the Republican Party of Florida after DeSantis vetoed a bill in early June that would have limited and regulated the hemp industry.
Vote No on 3 has not yet begun financial expenditures. The related Florida Freedom Fund recently reported approximately $120,000 in campaign funds, viewed as a drop in the bucket compared to over $60 million raised by Smart and Safe, the best-funded cannabis legalization amendment in American history. Much of the latter’s funding comes from Florida’s largest medical marijuana company Trulieve (OTC:TCNNF), which has reportedly spent more than $40 million to get the measure on the ballot.
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