Former president Donald Trump He said he plans to vote yes on a ballot measure in Florida legalize marijuanahis clearest position yet on the issue.
“As I have stated before, I believe it is time to end the unnecessary arrest and detention of adults for small amounts of marijuana for personal use,” the former president wrote. post Sunday evening on his Truth Social platform.
He added: “We also need to implement smart rules while ensuring that adults have access to a safe, tested product. As a Floridian, I will vote YES for the amendment this November 3rd.
Trump said that if elected, his administration would “continue to focus on research to open up the medical use of marijuana to a Schedule 3 drug and work with Congress to support common-sense legislation, including safe banking for state-owned companies and states’ rights.” Passing marijuana laws that work very well for their citizens, like Florida does.
Trump said last month that he he expected the ballot measure to pass and urged Florida lawmakers to pass legislation banning the use of marijuana in public places. He wrote that arrests for possession of marijuana waste “personal amounts” of taxpayer dollars and suggested the ballot measure would help prevent deaths from fentanyl-laced marijuana.
If passed, the ballot measure would allow residents over the age of 21 to possess, purchase or consume recreational marijuana. Medical marijuana is now legal in Florida.
Trump’s support for the ballot measure is the clearest indication yet of his position on marijuana legalization, putting him at odds with other Republicans. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis opposes the marijuana ballot measure and most congressional republicans In recent years, they have voted against US policy reform bills marijuana.
Sen. John F. Kennedy, R-La., said Monday night that he did not share Trump’s position.
“I support prescription medical marijuana, but I’m not even close to legalizing another substance that changes the way you see the world,” Kennedy said.
Sen. Kevin Cramer, RN.D., also said he opposes the recreational use of cannabis, calling it “not a good idea.”
“We need to have a national discussion on this, but I personally am not ready to vote for recreational use in North Dakota, nor nationally,” Kramer said.
Former president has given mixed messages in the past when pressed on the subject in the past regarding the legalization of marijuana. During the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump said he supported the medicinal use of cannabis and called for more research into its health benefits. He also repeatedly stated that each state should decide whether to legalize marijuana.
In an interview with Newsmax TV last year, Trump acknowledged that the issue of legalizing marijuana is a “pretty popular thing” among voters, but he also expressed skepticism about using marijuana as a treatment to help people.
The Trump administration has taken a number of measures against the use and possession of marijuana Reversing Obama-era policies on marijuana, directing federal prosecutors against prosecuting marijuana-related cases in states that have legalized the drug.
In response to Trump’s support of the Florida ballot measure, Harris campaign spokesman Joseph Costello dismissed the notion that Trump supports reforming marijuana laws, citing the Trump administration’s actions on the issue.
“Despite his apparent hustle, Donald Trump can’t celebrate his extensive record of rolling back marijuana reform,” Costello said in a statement. even tried to remove safeguards for medical marijuana.”
“Donald Trump doesn’t really believe in marijuana reform, but the American people are smart enough to see through his campaign lies,” he said.
The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Harris campaign’s statement.
Last month, Trump gave some support to another ballot measure in Florida: expanding access to abortion. he said NBC News said the state’s six-week ban was “too short” and that he would “vote that we need more than six weeks.”
But a day later, after a backlash from some conservatives, he announced that he would vote no to the ballot measure. After reiterating his position that women need “more time” than six weeks to decide whether to have an abortion, Trump said in an interview with Fox News that he could not support the amendment because “Democrats are radicals.”
Florida’s amendment would ban abortion restrictions before the 24th week of pregnancy, before fetal viability, while guaranteeing exceptions to protect the health of the mother.