{"id":75006,"date":"2024-05-06T06:51:11","date_gmt":"2024-05-06T14:51:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/2024\/05\/06\/florida-gop-formally-opposes-marijuana-legalization-ballot-initiative-clearing-path-for-desantis-to-fund-counter-message-campaign\/"},"modified":"2024-05-06T12:46:05","modified_gmt":"2024-05-06T20:46:05","slug":"florida-gop-formally-opposes-marijuana-legalization-ballot-initiative-clearing-path-for-desantis-to-fund-counter-message-campaign","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/2024\/05\/06\/florida-gop-formally-opposes-marijuana-legalization-ballot-initiative-clearing-path-for-desantis-to-fund-counter-message-campaign\/","title":{"rendered":"Florida GOP Formally Opposes Marijuana Legalization Ballot Initiative, Clearing Path For DeSantis To Fund \u2018Counter Message\u2019 Campaign"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The Florida Republican Party has officially come out against a marijuana legalization initiative that will appear on the November ballot, clearing the way for Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) to raise money to fund an opposition campaign against the measure.<\/p>\n

The governor plans to fundraise for campaigns opposing both the cannabis initiative and an abortion rights proposal heading into the election, funneling the money through the state Republican Party, according to a local media report. Members of the organization formally voted to adopt the anti-legalization position on Saturday.<\/p>\n

The resolution states that Amendment 3 would \u201cbenefit powerful marijuana special interests, while putting children at risk and endangering Florida\u2019s family-friendly business and tourism climates.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe support killing the [marijuana and abortion] amendments as a party because it\u2019s not good policy for the state,\u201d Republican Party of Florida Chair Evan Power told The Miami Herald. \u201cWhen you look at it, it seems like these amendments are out of step with what Floridians want.\u201d<\/p>\n

Power added<\/a> in a press release on Monday that \u201cFloridians are confident that their legislature has been passing laws that reflect the priorities of our state.\u201d<\/p>\n

The cannabis and abortion amendments are \u201cunnecessary attempts by an increasingly shrinking minority who know the only way to win support for their radical agenda is to confuse and mislead the electorate,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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The Florida GOP Executive Board\u00a0unanimously\u00a0passed a resolution opposing amendments\u00a03 (recreational\u00a0marijuana) & 4 (abortion up until birth) & supporting the balance of the Constitutional amendments\u00a0that will appear on the 2024 ballot. View Press Release: https:\/\/t.co\/bvaEqVSzHw<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Florida GOP (@FloridaGOP) May 6, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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An advisor to the governor also confirmed<\/a> that DeSantis will \u201cuse his financial position to raise money for a counter message for both of those amendments.\u201d<\/p>\n

Morgan Hill, communications director of the cannabis campaign Smart & Safe, told Florida Phoenix that the \u201cdecision to authorize the use of adult-use cannabis will be made by the citizens of Florida at the ballot box\u2014not at a gathering of political insiders.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAmendment 3 has wide bipartisan support because Floridians know legalization means accountability, transparency and safety,\u201d Hill said<\/a>. \u201cSmart & Safe Florida is committed to safe access to cannabis products while empowering the legislature to enact comprehensive regulations, spanning from cultivation to consumption, including where people may or may not smoke in public. Such protections are customary with the implementation of any policy in our state regardless of industry.\u201d<\/p>\n

DeSantis previewed his plans of \u201cgetting involved in different ways\u201d to oppose the proposed constitutional amendments<\/a> late last month. He\u2019s maintained that there\u2019s no need to expand upon the state\u2019s existing medical cannabis program and argued that further legalization would make Florida worse off<\/a>, in part because he says the smell of marijuana would be more widespread.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want this state to be reeking of marijuana,\u201d he said last month. \u201cWe\u2019re doing fine. We don\u2019t need to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Update: the @FloridaGOP<\/a> took its vote on the recreational marijuana amendment today and is \u201cofficially opposed,\u201d per Party Chair @EvanPower<\/a>. The vote no campaigns on marijuana and abortion can now begin. https:\/\/t.co\/o8rv4Yezci<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Alexandra Glorioso (@aglorios) May 4, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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DeSantis also claimed the motives of the campaign behind legalization were profit-driven. \u201cThere\u2019s people that will benefit financially if these things pass, and that\u2019s what\u2019s driving this, is the ability for people to line their pockets,\u201d he said. \u201cOn the marijuana one, you\u2019re going to have marijuana everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also previously predicted voters will reject the marijuana initiative in November<\/a>\u00a0and argued that passage would \u201creduce the quality of life\u201d in the state.<\/p>\n

Floridians would need to pass the medical marijuana industry-backed legalization initiative with\u00a0at least 60 percent of the vote<\/a>\u00a0for it to become law. Recent polling released by USA Today\/Ipsos suggests that might be a tall order, however: The survey found that\u00a056 percent of Florida registered voters and 49 percent of Florida adults overall<\/a>\u00a0back the cannabis measure.<\/p>\n

A separate Florida Atlantic University (FAU) and Mainstreet Research poll found that only\u00a0a 47 percent plurality of voters back the cannabis initiative<\/a>, compared to 35 percent opposed and 18 percent undecided.<\/p>\n

Economic analysts from the Florida legislature and DeSantis\u2019s office, estimate that the marijuana legalization initiative would\u00a0generate between $195.6 million and $431.3 million<\/a>\u00a0in new sales tax revenue annually if voters enact it. Those figures could increase considerably if lawmakers opted to impose an additional excise tax on cannabis transactions that\u2019s similar to the ones in place in other legalized states.<\/p>\n

If approved, the measure would change the state Constitution to allow existing medical cannabis companies in the state, such as Trulieve, the campaign\u2019s main financial contributor, to begin selling marijuana to all adults over 21. It contains a provision that would allow\u2014but not require\u2014lawmakers to take steps toward the approval of additional businesses. Home cultivation by consumers would not be allowed under the proposal as drafted.<\/p>\n

Adults would be able to purchase and possess up to one ounce of cannabis, only five grams of which could be marijuana concentrate products. The three-page measure also omits equity provisions favored by advocates, such as expungements or other relief for people with prior cannabis convictions.<\/p>\n

Nearly all of the campaign\u2019s financial backing has come from existing medical marijuana businesses, predominantly multi-state operators. Recently, the Florida Division of Elections (DOE) released the campaign finance activity report from the first quarter of the year<\/a>, showing nearly $15 million in new contributions.<\/p>\n

Trulieve, the main financial backer of the initiative, led the pack again with $9.225 million in donations during the first quarter. That follows the company previously contributing\u00a0about $40 million as advocates\u00a0worked to collect more than one million signatures to qualify for ballot placement<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The company\u2019s CEO said recently that, contrary to the governor\u2019s claims, legalization\u00a0could actually \u201cimprove quality of life\u201d for residents<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what the Smart & Safe Florida marijuana legalization initiative would accomplish:<\/strong><\/p>\n