Florida Police Chiefs oppose legalizing pot for adults

Bills to cap pot potency were stamped out. Image via AP.

A second statewide law enforcement group has come out against a proposed constitutional amendment to legalize recreational marijuana for adults.

The Florida Police Chiefs Association (FPCA) announced its opposition to Amendment 3 “Adult Use of Marijuana.”

“As we represent the highest levels of law enforcement leadership in Florida, we believe that passage of Constitutional Amendment 3 ‘Adult Use of Marijuana’ — otherwise known as recreational marijuana — will hurt public safety and ultimately cost Floridians tax dollars and lives,” said Chief Charles Vazquez, Tampa International Airport Police Department.

“Among these impacts will be the growth of illegal markets and criminal cartels, impaired driving and traffic fatalities, homelessness, and hospitalization as a result of marijuana use.”

Whether to make recreational use of marijuana for adults in Florida legal is one of the more high-profile constitutional amendments Florida voters will weigh in on when they head to the polls in November. In order to pass, 60% of the voters must approve the proposal.

Twenty-three states and Washington, D.C., have legalized recreational marijuana for adults.

The FPCA notes in the release that detailed data from all these states is not available, but the group cites published reports that it says shows “disturbing trends alongside broader law enforcement impacts.”

“Nationally, the percentage of traffic fatalities involving cannabis more than doubled from 9% in 2000 to 21.5% in 2018, and during 2018, 12 million (4.7%) U.S. residents reported driving under the influence of marijuana in the past 12 months,” the FPCA statement notes.

The FPCA’s announcement came on the heels of the Florida Sheriffs Association releasing its resolution spelling out the reasons why it opposes Amendment 3.

The resolution states that recreational marijuana is contrary to the “interest of the public health safety and welfare and desires to preserve the rights of citizens to live and work in a community where drug use is not normalized and citizens are not affected by the adverse effects of drug misuse.”

Signed by FSA President and Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper, the resolution notes that in 2020, 24.3% of drivers involved in traffic fatalities tested positive for marijuana, up from 14.8% in 2013.

The FSA is aligning efforts with the Republican Party of Florida and Gov. Ron DeSantis in opposing Amendment 3, which would allow for adult recreational use of marijuana. A committee, Vote No on 3, launched an effort to oppose the amendment.

Vote No on 3 did its own poll that found that 64% of likely General Election voters planned to vote “yes.” But that same poll indicated that opposition to the amendment is ticking upward and that support for the initiative is “stagnant” despite the recent ads.

Smart & Safe Florida is the committee pushing for passage of the amendment. Smart & Safe Florida’s largest contributor is Trulieve. The political committee has now raised $66.4 million since it started. The latest campaign report shows that Smart & Safe Florida has $12.5 million that it hasn’t spent yet.