Donald Trump teases support of Florida marijuana legalization amendment

Image via AP.

The Republican presidential nominee may be in favor of Florida legalizing adult use cannabis.

During a press conference at Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump suggested he was open to supporting marijuana legalization, and promised a forthcoming statement on Florida’s Adult Personal Use of Marijuana amendment on November’s ballot.

“As we legalize it, I start to agree a lot more because it’s being legalized all over the country,” Trump said, before alluding to Florida’s ballot initiative.

“Florida has something coming up. I’ll be making a statement about that fairly soon, but as we legalize it throughout the country, whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing, it’s awfully hard to have people all over the jails that are in jail right now for something that’s legal. So, I think obviously there’s a lot of sentiment to doing that.”

The constitutional amendment will be presented for voter consideration in November’s General Election, with legalization in effect as soon as May 2025 if 60% or more of voters approve.

It would allow adults 21 years or older to “possess, purchase, or use marijuana products and marijuana accessories for non-medical personal consumption by smoking, ingestion, or otherwise.”

It also would permit “Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers, and other state licensed entities, to acquire, cultivate, process, manufacture, sell, and distribute such products and accessories.”

The amendment would allow for personal use of cannabis and derivatives, permitting consumers up to 3 ounces of marijuana and 5 grams of concentrate (such as oils, wax, shatter, and others).

This position, should he take it, will put Trump at odds with Florida’s Governor, a recent electoral opponent turned fundraiser.

“It gives you a limitless constitutional right to possess and smoke. I think it’s up to like, what, 40 joints, is that the 3 ounces would be 40? More than that, 80 joints. Something like that,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said, urging the Republican Party of Florida to fight the ballot initiative during a breakfast meeting at Milwaukee’s Republican National Convention.

DeSantis has said he opposes legalization for a variety of reasons, including how it smells. He also said during his presidential campaign that today’s product is “too potent” and that dealers can “throw fentanyl in.”

Polling from the University of North Florida shows the amendment has 64% support statewide, with 50% of GOP voters backing it, though DeSantis and most elected Republicans in the state who have spoken on it have opposed it.

One exception to the anti-weed contingent in the GOP: Trump ally Joe Gruters, a candidate for CFO who came out in favor of the amendment this summer. After backing Trump over DeSantis in 2023, Gruters was subjected to tens of millions of dollars in line-item vetoes of projects he carried.