Ashley Moody argues against pot legalization initiative
Ashley Moody opposes another weed legalization initiative.

ashley moody
It can't be legal, she says, because of federal ban.

For the second time in a year, Attorney General Ashley Moody stands in opposition to a citizen-led cannabis legalization push.

The first-term Republican on Thursday filed a petition with the Florida Supreme Court, opposing the Make It Legal Florida citizens’ initiative.

Her position: that federal illegality means that adults will not be “permitted” to “possess, use, and buy marijuana.”

A release from her office notes that “using and possessing the drug is and will still be a crime under federal law. Federal penalties for possessing the Schedule 1 Controlled Substance are and will remain significant.”

Moody believes, therefore, that the ballot initiative is misleading.

“Facts matter. Before Florida voters are asked to make critical changes to our state constitution, those facts should be made clear. That’s why, by law, any citizen initiative seeking to amend the state constitution must offer voters a summary explaining the legal effect of that amendment — painting a full picture of the important choice voters are asked to make. This initiative suggests to voters that their vote will allow for conduct that will remain illegal with significant penalties,” Moody urged.

Though federal law enforcement typically isn’t tasked with low-level possession cases, it is clear that Moody’s office is the avatar of caution in this matter.

The initiative would permit those 21 and older to possess 2.5 ounces of cannabis and accessories. expanding the scope of medical marijuana treatment centers to recreational sales. Public use of the herb would not be permitted.

The industry-backed cannabis campaign is well-capitalized, with nearly $3.8 million banked as of November’s end.

It currently has 190,000-plus verified signatures, with more waiting to be verified; the threshold for ballot access is 766,200.

The Make It Legal Florida opposition represents AG Moody’s second hit at the marijuana movement.

Back in September, she came out against the Sensible Florida amendment, which would have allowed homegrown herb.

There, she objected to the proposal’s “sheer length and ambiguous language.”

A.G. Gancarski

A.G. Gancarski has written for FloridaPolitics.com since 2014. He is based in Northeast Florida. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter: @AGGancarski


12 comments

  • Matthew f Lusk

    December 19, 2019 at 10:16 pm

    So much for States rights! Ashley favors FED control. We don’t need Florida’s attorney General abdicating power to a central government.

  • Edward Harrison

    December 19, 2019 at 11:40 pm

    It is nice to see that Ms Moody took time away from her ongoing work for the NRA facilitating the murder of Florida’s school children to dream up this fantasy. Fact do matter and the fact is nearly 1/3 of American live in states where marijuana is legal and the Federal government has not been out arresting anyone for complying with the law there. Ms Moody is an evil person who sees it as her job to contort the law toward whoever is paying her the most. She should be removed from office immediately and spend the rest of her life in prison. Disgusting Wench!

  • John Fakess

    December 20, 2019 at 9:00 am

    Republicans continue to distort and thwart the will of the people. Cannabis should and will become legal.

    • Tt

      December 21, 2019 at 7:56 am

      She uses the terms: citizens and voters.
      ‘People’ aren’t any politicians directives.
      Big difference in the people and the citizens.

  • David Allen

    December 20, 2019 at 11:47 am

    Another assclown Floridiot politician, just like the last CUNT that held the position! Another control master, that works for big pharma and not the people of florida!

  • gerald dimick jr

    December 20, 2019 at 12:25 pm

    go lay the fuck down lady your useless have a nice day

  • Melanie Marshall

    December 20, 2019 at 12:29 pm

    Here’s a fact for Moody: Nixon’s Controlled Substances Act is unconstitutional. Alcohol Prohibition needed to be done through a constitutional amendment, but Nixon bypassed that just to heavily criminalize dissenters. We are trying to fix that.
    Nixon also made research of “Schedule I” substances very difficult, so we still know very little, officially, keeping inexperienced people afraid of cannabis for as long as possible. Still, can’t she see how well legal states are doing? What a bootlicker.

  • joel rudy

    December 20, 2019 at 1:43 pm

    Im mad and I don’t even live there.

  • John Thomas

    December 20, 2019 at 2:23 pm

    Moody doesn’t follow her own advice. She advocates “a full picture of the important choice voters are asked to make.”

    Marijuana prohibition was FRAUDULENTLY ENACTED in 1937 by soon-to-be-out-of-work alcohol prohibition bureaucrat, Harry Anslinger. He desperately wanted a new empire and no lie was too big to tell to get it.

    Science and widespread experience have shown marijuana has no significant harms. But the fraudulent, obscene war on millions of good citizens is MASSIVELY harmful. In all its 82 miserable years, the illegally passed prohibition has never accomplished one positive thing. It has ONLY caused vast amounts of crime, violence, corruption, death and the severe diminishing of everyone’s freedom!

    All those “officials” like Moody who protect this near genocide are corrupt and evil.

    End this witch-hunt NOW!

  • MedMen Sucks

    December 20, 2019 at 10:25 pm

    Moody smokes Mids from Midmen 😆

  • Laggputt4246

    December 21, 2019 at 1:54 pm

    Considering the last 3 federal spending bills contain a rider saying the federal government cannot interfere with states that have passed legislation allowing cannabis sales, use and possession, I would say her statements are misleading. Also, the 10th amendment specifically says the Fed only has powers that listed in the constitution, everything else is left up to the states to decide, I would argue the federal ban on marijuana is unconstitutional. Wise up folks, marijuana prohibition was never about public health and safety, it’s all about protecting corporate profits. Don’t believe me? This state literally refers to it’s cannabis producers as the “legal cartel” and is spending millions of tax payers dollars fighting legislation that Floridians passed with a 73% yes vote.

  • John Thomas

    December 21, 2019 at 4:03 pm

    Right. – It’s also about oppression and persecution of minorities and dissidents. – Paranoid, criminal President Nixon ramped up the huge fraud. His Domestic Policy Advisor, John Ehrlichman testified:

    “The Nixon campaign in 1968, and the Nixon White House after that, had two enemies: the antiwar left and Black people. You understand what I’m saying,” Ehrlichman continued.

    “We knew we couldn’t make it illegal to be either against the war or Black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and Blacks with heroin, and then criminalizing them heavily, we could disrupt those communities. We could arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news.”

    “Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did.”

    Because so many more people consume marijuana than heroin, the tool of marijuana prohibition has been far more successful at oppressing minorities and politically active youth.

    Those who support, or engage in, this insane war on marijuana consumers, are complicit with Nixon in his crime against humanity!

Comments are closed.


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