Amendment 3 marijuana issue fires up people on both sides

Florida’s governor and first lady are circling the state to lobby against the Amendment 3 marijuana issue on the Nov. 5 ballot. But critics are raising questions about whether their campaign is an appropriate use of tax dollars.

Casey DeSantis appeared with sheriffs Thursday in Jacksonville to oppose Amendment 3, which would legalize the personal use of marijuana by people 21 and older.

Gov. Ron DeSantis hosted a panel Thursday in Cape Coral urging Floridians to vote “no” on Amendment 3.

Then a day later, an attorney and two state lawmakers contended trips like those are a misuse of state funds.

Attorney John Morgan, a driving force behind the marijuana amendment, joined Republican Sen. Joe Gruters and Democratic Sen. Jason Pizzo at a news conference. They believe state agencies are misusing tens of millions of taxpayer dollars to oppose Amendment 3.

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Here are both sides of the issue.

READ MORE about the amendments in Jacksonville Today‘s Voter Guides.

Opposing Amendment 3

Sheriffs T.K. Waters of Jacksonville, Bill Leeper of Nassau County and Michelle Cook of Clay County joined Casey DeSantis at the Fraternal Order of Police hall.

She made the same argument she made the day before in Polk County — that the amendment is an example of corporate greed. Trulieve, a major medical cannabis distributor, has invested millions of dollars to secure the market, DeSantis said. Florida already allows regulated medical marijuana sales, with 900,000 people allowed to get it, she added.

“That is up and running, and that is in use in the state of Florida,” she said. “This again is for one corporation who spent a lot of money so that they could have a market share in perpetuity. And let’s be clear about this too, because this is a constitutional amendment.”

DeSantis also stressed that products containing THC, like candies, could find their way into the hands of children and cause serious health risks.

And if the amendment passes, she said, people would smell acrid marijuana smoke everywhere, including playgrounds, parks, sporting events, beaches and restaurants.

Waters agreed. “I don’t want my grandkids walking through streets filled with the smell of marijuana,” he said. 

Supporting Amendment 3

Morgan is a trial attorney in Orlando known as the “pot daddy.” He pushed the legalization of medical marijuana in Florida and early on supported recreational use by adults.

During a news conference Friday, Morgan said state officials “don’t want the people to have the power,” so it has gotten harder to pass constitutional amendments.

What makes it even harder, he said, is that those who oppose Amendment 3 are paying for their campaign with tax money that should be designated for opioid study and rehabilitation programs.

“That taxpayer money — your money, my money, our money — is being used to combat  Amendment 3,” Morgan said. “Look, if private individuals and private companies want to say no to this, absolutely — I understand that.  But when our government is so locked into keeping power, and power corrupts, that’s a new level. And now we have reached a whole new level where we are taking, robbing, stealing taxpayer money that’s designated for opioids to stopping Amendment 3.” 

Pizzo, the incoming Senate minority leader from Broward County, unsuccessfully sued this month to stop the Florida Department of Transportation from spending state money to advertise its opposition to the amendment. The department’s TV ad warned that “DUI crashes increase in states with legalized marijuana putting everyone at risk.”

Pizzo said the Legislature did not authorize the use of state money to influence voters on the amendment.

“They have misappropriated funds,” Pizzo said. “They have taken funds that were either marked for something else or directed for something else, but more specifically, and more dangerously, not intended to violate the law and go ahead and pick one particular position on a subject matter issue on the ballot that … people should be able to research and decide for themselves.”

Gruters, of Manatee County, said people in all walks of life, including former President Donald Trump, support the marijuana amendment. So in a democracy, he said, the state should “not spend taxpayer dollars in advance of a political issue.”

“Tax dollars are meant to be spent on our police, schools, roads and other programs that make our state great, not political agendas,” Gruters said. “I fully believe this is undemocratic and a violation of Florida law to spend taxpayer funds on political ads, period.”