Trump says he will vote yes on Florida ballot measure to legalize marijuana
Former President Donald Trump said he plans to vote yes on a ballot measure in Florida to legalize marijuana, his clearest stance so far on the issue.
“As I have previously stated, I believe it is time to end needless arrests and incarcerations of adults for small amounts of marijuana for personal use,” the former president wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform late Sunday night.
He added, “We must also implement smart regulations, while providing access for adults, to safe, tested product. As a Floridian, I will be voting YES on Amendment 3 this November.”
Trump said that if elected, his administration “will continue to focus on research to unlock the medical uses of marijuana to a Schedule 3 drug, and work with Congress to pass common sense laws, including safe banking for state authorized companies, and supporting states rights to pass marijuana laws, like in Florida, that work so well for their citizens.”
Trump said last month that he expected the ballot measure to pass and called for Florida lawmakers to pass legislation banning the use of marijuana in public spaces. He wrote that arrests for marijuana possession of "personal amounts" waste taxpayers' dollars and suggested that the ballot measure would help prevent deaths from fentanyl-laced marijuana.
If passed, the ballot measure would permit residents over 21 to possess, buy or consume marijuana recreationally. Medical marijuana is already legal in Florida.
Trump's support for the ballot measure is the clearest indication he has given about his stance on the issue of marijuana legalization and one that puts him at odds with other Republicans. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis opposes the marijuana ballot measure and most congressional Republicans have in recent years voted against bills to reform U.S. policy on marijuana.
The former president has in the past given mixed messages on marijuana legalization when pressed on the issue in the past. During his 2016 presidential campaign, Trump said he was in favor of cannabis use for medicinal purposes and that more research should be done on its health benefits. He has 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 marijuana legalization is a “pretty popular thing” among voters, but also expressed skepticism over marijuana use as a treatment to help people.
The Trump administration took several actions against recreational marijuana possession and use, including reversing an Obama-era policy on marijuana that directed federal prosecutors against pursuing marijuana-related cases in states that have legalized the drug.
In response to Trump's support of the Florida ballot measure, Harris campaign spokesperson Joseph Costello dismissed the notion that Trumps supports reforms to marijuana-related laws, citing the Trump administration's actions on the issue.
“Despite his blatant pandering, Donald Trump cannot paper over his extensive record of dragging marijuana reform backward," Costello said in a statement. "As president, Trump cracked down on nonviolent marijuana offenses — undermining state legalization laws, opposed safe banking legislation, and even tried to remove protections for medical marijuana."
"Donald Trump does not actually believe in marijuana reform, but the American people are smart enough to see through his campaign lies," he added.
The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Harris campaign's statement.
Trump last month seemed to signal some support for another ballot measure in Florida: one that would expand abortion access. He told NBC News that the state’s six-week ban is “too short” and that he would “be voting that we need more than six weeks.”
But a day later, following backlash from some conservatives, he clarified that he would be voting no on the ballot measure. After reiterating his stance that women need “more time” than six weeks to decide whether to get an abortion, Trump said during an interview with Fox News he couldn’t support the amendment because “Democrats are radical.”
Florida’s amendment would prohibit abortion restrictions prior to fetal viability, around the 24th week of pregnancy, but would also guarantee exceptions to protect the mother’s health.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
