‘Do we want to have more marijuana in our communities?’: DeSantis says ‘radical’ weed, abortion amendments will fail
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday took aim at two amendments that will appear on the ballot in November regarding recreational marijuana and protecting abortion rights, saying both amendments are “radical” and that they both will fail.
DeSantis’ comments came at the end of a news conference at the South Florida Water Management District on Thursday, just days after the Florida Supreme Court ruled that both amendments could appear on the ballot.
“Once voters figure out how radical both [amendments] are, they’re going to fail,” he said. “They are very, very extreme.”
He criticized the “weed one” as “basically a license to have it anywhere you want. So no time, place and manner restrictions.”
Amendment 3, Adult Personal Use of Marijuana, “allows adults 21 years or older to possess, purchase, or use marijuana products and marijuana accessories for non-medical personal consumption.”
Florida will “start to smell like marijuana in our cities and towns,” DeSantis said. “It will reduce the quality of life.”
DeSantis pointed out that the state already has medical marijuana, which is something that he implemented as governor.
“Do we want to have more marijuana in our communities?” DeSantis said.
If passed by Florida voters, it would only allow Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers (MMTC) to legally sell cannabis. The effort to put the measure on the ballot was largely bankrolled by Trulieve, a dispensary chain that dominates the Florida’s medical market.
Regarding the abortion amendment, DeSantis claimed the amendment would override “parental consent laws.”
The Amendment to Limit Government Interference with Abortion – designated Amendment 4 – would enshrine the right to abortion in the Florida Constitution, stating in part, “No law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability.”
“I think Florida voters over the past four of five cycles have developed a skepticism on these amendments generally,” DeSantis said. “Because they’re always written in ways that are confusing.”
“There’s a certain segment of voters, they default vote ‘no’ on these things,” he added.
Both measures must be approved by 60% of voters in order to pass.
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