Donald Trump Signals Support for Florida’s Adult-Use Cannabis Initiative

Donald Trump last week signaled support for Florida’s Amendment 3, which would legalize adult-use cannabis in the state. In a post on Truth Social, Trump predicted the ballot initiative would pass in November and called on lawmakers “to responsibly create laws that prohibit the use of it in public spaces, so we do not smell marijuana everywhere we go, like we do in many of the Democrat run Cities.” 

“At the same time, someone should not be a criminal in Florida, when this is legal in so many other States. We do not need to ruin lives & waste Taxpayer Dollars arresting adults with personal amounts of it on them, and no one should grieve a loved one because they died from fentanyl laced marijuana.” — Trump in a Truth Social post, 8/31/24 

Former President Trump’s position runs contrary to opposition by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who in July launched a political action committee against the proposal. DeSantis has also said he doesn’t believe the proposed constitutional amendment should have been approved for ballots because, he contends, the summary “doesn’t really tell you what the amendment says.”  

Florida hemp industry executives have also pledged to donate $5 million to the state Republican Party to help defeat the proposition and billionaire Ken Griffin last month announced a $20 million donation to support candidates who oppose the state’s proposed constitutional amendment. 

Trump is a resident of Florida and votes in the state.