The Republican Party of Florida’s Executive Board last weekend unanimously passed a resolution opposing the state’s cannabis legalization amendment that voters will consider in November.
The cannabis ballot question, Amendment 3, seeks to legalize the possession and use of cannabis by adults aged 21+ and would allow medical dispensaries to begin serving adult-use customers. Republicans also formally stated their opposition to Amendment 4, which seeks to enshrine the right to abortion access in the state’s constitution.
Both ballot proposals are constitutional amendments, which will require at least 60% voter support to pass.
“Floridians are confident that their legislature has been passing laws that reflect the priorities of our state. Amendments 3 and 4 are unnecessary attempts by an increasingly shrinking minority who know the only way to win support for their radical agenda is to confuse and mislead the electorate.” — Florida GOP Chairman Evan Power, in a press release
Polling data from last September put public support for cannabis legalization at 60% — the exact threshold for victory at the ballot box — but another survey in April regarding November’s legalization vote found just 49% of respondents saying they would vote “yes” on the issue.
In the press release, Power suggested the ballot measures were funded by “outside dark money groups … looking to promote their far-left ideology by attempting to confuse Florida voters.” The legalization campaign, however, has been primarily funded by Florida‘s own Trulieve, a multistate cannabis operator the state’s largest medical cannabis operator.
In addition to contesting Amendments 3 and 4, the GOP chairman also affirmed party support for making Florida school board races “partisan,” installing constitutional protections for hunting and fishing in the state, and reforming the state’s public campaign financing rules.
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