Trump says he will vote to legalize adult recreational marijuana use in Florida

(CNN) — Former President Donald Trump said Sunday he will ballot for a ballot measurement successful Florida that would legalize big recreational marijuana usage – a position that puts him astatine likelihood pinch Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and different Republican leaders successful nan state.

“As I person antecedently stated, I judge it is clip to extremity needless arrests and incarcerations of adults for mini amounts of marijuana for individual use. We must besides instrumentality smart regulations, while providing entree for adults, to safe, tested product. As a Floridian, I will beryllium voting YES connected Amendment 3 this November,” Trump posted connected Truth Social.

Trump continued, “As President, we will proceed to attraction connected investigation to unlock nan aesculapian uses of marijuana to a Schedule 3 drug, and activity pinch Congress to walk communal consciousness laws, including safe banking for authorities authorized companies, and supporting states authorities to walk marijuana laws, for illustration successful Florida, that activity truthful good for their citizens.”

The determination is successful statement pinch nan criminal justness betterment he signed into rule arsenic president, though Trump has besides made being seen arsenic reliable connected crime cardinal to his governmental identity. Trump is taking a position mostly celebrated pinch Americans, moreover arsenic members of his ain statement person opposed it.

It’s a uncommon area of statement betwixt Trump and his force successful November. Vice President Kamala Harris has supported efforts by nan Biden management to pardon group convicted of having mini amounts of marijuana and nan effort to reclassify nan supplier successful national rule to a little level. Harris has her ain governmental liabilities astir crime, having been criticized for prosecuting group for possessing mini amounts of narcotics during her clip arsenic a prosecutor.

Trump antecedently said successful a station that he thought nan ballot inaugural successful Florida would walk “whether group for illustration it aliases not,” and that he thought adults successful Florida shouldn’t beryllium arrested for having “personal amounts” of marijuana. He besides called for nan Florida legislature to create laws that prohibit recreational marijuana usage successful nationalist spaces.

Trump’s promise to “unlock nan aesculapian uses of marijuana to a Schedule 3 drug” comes aft he praised aesculapian marijuana connected nan Lex Fridman Podcast past week.

The ballot initiative, which would require 60% of nan ballot to pass, “Allows adults 21 years aliases older to possess, purchase, aliases usage marijuana products and marijuana accessories for non-medical individual depletion by smoking, ingestion, aliases otherwise,” according to nan matter of nan measure. It besides “allows Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers, and different authorities licensed entities, to acquire, cultivate, process, manufacture, sell, and administer specified products and accessories.”

DeSantis, who ran against Trump successful nan GOP statesmanlike superior but past endorsed nan erstwhile president erstwhile he suspended his campaign, has bashed nan ballot inaugural arsenic “radical” and said earlier this twelvemonth if it passed, “This authorities will commencement to smell for illustration marijuana successful our cities and towns.”

The Florida GOP declared its guidance to nan ballot inaugural successful May, and nan Republican Party of Florida’s executive committee unanimously passed a solution opposing it. Florida GOP Chairman Evan Power released a connection saying this amendment, arsenic good arsenic a abstracted abortion amendment, “are unnecessary attempts by an progressively shrinking number who cognize nan only measurement to triumph support for their extremist schedule is to confuse and mislead nan electorate.”