{"id":76181,"date":"2024-06-11T07:06:33","date_gmt":"2024-06-11T15:06:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/2024\/06\/11\/desantis-launches-florida-freedom-fund-to-oppose-marijuana-legalization-ballot-initiative-as-campaign-reports-millions-in-new-donations\/"},"modified":"2024-06-11T12:46:19","modified_gmt":"2024-06-11T20:46:19","slug":"desantis-launches-florida-freedom-fund-to-oppose-marijuana-legalization-ballot-initiative-as-campaign-reports-millions-in-new-donations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/2024\/06\/11\/desantis-launches-florida-freedom-fund-to-oppose-marijuana-legalization-ballot-initiative-as-campaign-reports-millions-in-new-donations\/","title":{"rendered":"DeSantis Launches \u2018Florida Freedom Fund\u2019 To Oppose Marijuana Legalization Ballot Initiative, As Campaign Reports Millions In New Donations"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has launched a new political action committee to campaign against marijuana legalization and abortion rights initiatives that will appear on the state\u2019s November ballot. At the same time, a newly released campaign finance report shows over $5 million in contributions supporting the cannabis measure have come in over the past two months.<\/p>\n

As DeSantis continues his crusade against the marijuana legalization proposal, late last month he started what\u2019s being called the Florida Freedom Fund, aimed at preventing adults from gaining the right to use cannabis. It\u2019s being run by the governor\u2019s chief of staff, James Uthmeier.<\/p>\n

A spokesperson for DeSantis told<\/a> Politico that the PAC \u201cwill be championing issues and candidates committed to preserving Floridians\u2019 freedom.\u201d How that stated mission squares with an attempt to restrict adults from accessing marijuana without risking a criminal record and potential jail time is unclear.<\/p>\n

According to a Fox News poll released last week, two in three Florida voters support the cannabis initiative<\/a>\u2014with the issue proving more popular than the governor himself. The survey showed majority support for legalization across the political spectrum, too.<\/p>\n

Despite his opposition to the marijuana legalization, DeSantis recently vetoed a bill to ban the sale of intoxicating hemp-derived cannabinoids<\/a> in his state. The action came amid reporting that the governor planned to block the hemp prohibition legislation in hopes that the industry would return the favor<\/a> by financially assisting in his effort to defeat the marijuana initiative.<\/p>\n

The governor, who predicted voters will reject the marijuana initiative in November<\/a>, has argued that the state shouldn\u2019t go beyond the existing medical cannabis program<\/a>\u00a0and that broader reform would negatively impact the quality of life for Floridians. The Florida Republican Party also\u00a0formally came out against Amendment 3 last month<\/a>.<\/p>\n

So far, DeSantis\u2019s PAC hasn\u2019t reported<\/a> raising any money. The Smart & Safe Florida campaign behind the marijuana initiative, however, reported more than $5.2 million in new contributions from April 1 to May 31, with the bulk of that funding coming from the multi-state cannabis company Trulieve. That\u2019s in addition to the $15 million the campaign raised in the first quarter of the year<\/a>, a haul that included contributions from other cannabis companies such as Verano Holdings, Curaleaf, Ayr Wellness, Green Thumb Industries and Cresco Labs.<\/p>\n

The new first quarter report shows that other marijuana firms are coming to the table in support, including\u00a0Insa, which donated $144,000, Sunburn parent company Green Sentry Holdings, which chipped in $50,000, and Urban-Gro, which gave $25,000.<\/p>\n

The report<\/a> also shows dozens of small-dollar donations, too.<\/p>\n

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We are so excited for this announcement! Smart & Safe Florida welcomes @urban_gro<\/a> and @sunburncannabis<\/a> in advocating for Amendment 3. Join the movement, vote #YesOn3<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/5VFHvZQmPw<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Smart & Safe Florida (@SmartandSafeFl) June 11, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Trulieve previously contributed about $40 million as advocates worked to collect more than one million signatures to qualify for ballot placement<\/a>. The company\u2019s CEO, Kim Rivers, said recently that, contrary to the governor\u2019s claims, legalization could actually \u201cimprove quality of life\u201d for residents<\/a>.<\/p>\n

She also said that she remains confident DeSantis will respect the will of the people<\/a>\u00a0and implement the legalization initiative if voters approve it at the ballot.<\/p>\n

Smart & Safe Florida separately announced in March that it was\u00a0working to form a coalition of veterans<\/a>\u00a0to build voter support for the reform, and the campaign\u00a0has since formally launched that initiative<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The campaign additionally released an ad last week arguing that cannabis currently available on the state\u2019s illicit market is dangerously unregulated<\/a>.<\/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

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