Jason Delgado
Agricultural Commissioner Nikki Fried on Wednesday sent an email through her political committee, Florida Consumers First, asking donors to help her “push for cannabis legalization.”
“Please help me with a donation today so that I can continue to push for cannabis legalization to protect those targeted by prohibitive laws, to increase access to medical marijuana, and to grow a consumer-friendly hemp industry in our state,” Fried wrote in the email titled “Making marijuana legal.”
The fundraising email notes Congress’s approval of the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act earlier this month. The Act, which is expected to die in the GOP-controlled Senate, would decriminalize cannabis at the federal level. It would also expunge lower-level federal marijuana offenses and create a 5% excise tax to support businesses and individuals “impacted by the war on drugs.”
The Democratic-controlled House overwhelmingly passed the measure with a 228 – 164 vote.
“This historic vote marks the monumental progress our country has made to address the racial injustices of prohibition,” Fried wrote. “Lawmakers are recognizing the urgent need to end misguided federal cannabis laws, to begin to right the wrongs of the war on drugs and its damage to communities of color.”
Fried, who is Florida’s top-elected Democrat and a possible 2022 gubernatorial contender, has long championed cannabis in Florida.
The Commissioner’s email comes in wake of a 2020 election that suggested Americans broadly accept cannabis throughout the country.
A Gallup Poll published Nov. 9 showed that 68% of Americans are in favor of legalizing cannabis, double the 2003 approval rate.
According to Gallup, voters in Arizona, Montana, New Jersey, and South Dakota supported and passed the legal use of recreational cannabis in the Nov. 3 election. Additionally, Mississippi and South Dakota joined 33 states and the District of Columbia in passing laws to legalize or decriminalize medicinal marijuana use.
Florida, notably, could be next on the list to make cannabis available in 2022.
Make it Legal Florida is pushing a constitutional amendment that would make cannabis available to adults for personal use for any reason.
According to the amendment’s summary, it would allow those 21-years-old and older to “possess, use, purchase, display, and transport up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana and marijuana accessories.”
Florida law only allows cannabis for medical use.
Cannabis remains illegal at the federal level.
4 comments
Madalina
December 16, 2020 at 3:18 pm
the first intelligent thing she has said since taking office.
Brian Kelly
December 16, 2020 at 5:56 pm
Marijuana consumers deserve and demand equal rights and protections under our laws that are currently afforded to the drinkers of far more dangerous and deadly, yet perfectly legal, widely accepted, endlessly advertised and even glorified as an All-American pastime, alcohol.
Plain and simple!
Legalize Nationwide!
The “War on Marijuana” has been a complete and utter failure. It is the largest component of the broader yet equally unsuccessful “War on Drugs” that has cost our country over a trillion dollars.
Instead of The United States wasting Billions upon Billions more of our yearly tax dollars fighting a never ending “War on Marijuana”, lets generate Billions of dollars, and improve the deficit instead. It’s a no brainer.
The Prohibition of Marijuana has also ruined the lives of many of our loved ones. In numbers greater than any other nation, our loved ones are being sent to jail and are being given permanent criminal records. Especially, if they happen to be of the “wrong” skin color or they happen to be from the “wrong” neighborhood. Which ruin their chances of employment for the rest of their lives, and for what reason?
Marijuana is much safer to consume than alcohol. Yet do we lock people up for choosing to drink?
Let’s end this hypocrisy now!
The government should never attempt to legislate morality by creating victim-less marijuana “crimes” because it simply does not work and costs the taxpayers a fortune.
Marijuana Legalization Nationwide is an inevitable reality that’s approaching much sooner than prohibitionists think and there is nothing they can do to stop it!
Legalize Nationwide! Support Each and Every Marijuana Legalization Initiative!
Pit
December 17, 2020 at 10:06 am
Let’s be clear here. If she wants to steer adult use marijuana to the cartel (which she is a part of) then her corruption will be exposed. She and her man, Jake, will be the ones profiting off of it.
Charlotte Greenbarg
December 17, 2020 at 1:34 pm
Pit is spot on! Jake who has beaten Nikki, and is still married? is in the business. They will profit handsomely. A pox…
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