Former United States President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump spoke in favor of adopting an electoral measure that legalizes the recreational use of marijuana for adults in the state of Florida.
"In Florida, as in many other states that have already given their approval, the personal use of marijuana for adults will be legalized with Amendment 3," the former president said on Saturday on his network, Truth Social. "Whether people like it or not, this will happen with the approval of voters, so it must be done correctly."
In November, along with the presidential election in the United States, Florida will hold a constitutional referendum on the topic, after the state Supreme Court greenlit the inclusion of Amendment 3 on the ballot in April, which will allow voters to decide on the legalization of recreational cannabis for adults in the state.
In his recent statement on the matter, Trump stated that "no one should be classified as a criminal in Florida for something that is legal in so many other states."
Framing his stance with his agenda "Make America Safe Again," the former president stated: "We don’t need to ruin lives and waste taxpayers’ dollars by arresting adults for possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal use," and added: "No one should mourn a loved one because they died from marijuana laced with fentanyl. We will make America safe again!"
At the same time, he urged the implementation of a law that prohibits the public use of cannabis: “We need the state legislature to responsibly create laws that prohibit its use in public spaces, so that it doesn’t smell like marijuana everywhere, as happens in many cities governed by Democrats.”
If approved in the November elections, Amendment 3 would pave the way for adult marijuana sales in Florida to begin in May 2025.
During his presidential campaign in 2016, Trump stated that he would leave the regulation of the matter to state authorities, but once in the White House, he became more discreet on the topic and even supported tough positions advocated by his Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, recalled a note from the AFP news agency.
The 45th president of the U.S. revoked in 2018 the federal tolerance policy implemented by the administration of Democrat Barack Obama regarding the legalization of recreational cannabis use.
Marijuana is not legal at the federal level, although three-quarters of Americans live in states where it is. Last May, the Department of Justice published a recommendation to reclassify cannabis as a less dangerous drug than it is currently considered.
A survey conducted in 2023 by the Public Opinion Research Laboratory (PORL) at the University of North Florida (UNF) revealed that 70% of respondents would "strongly" or "somewhat" support a state constitutional amendment to legalize the possession and regulated sale of small amounts of marijuana for personal use by individuals over 21 years old. 29% said they would oppose the measure.
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