Donald Trump makes shocking show of support for legalizing marijuana in Florida but promises he will be ‘tough on crime’
DONALD Trump signaled his support for the legalization of marijuana in a surprising post on his social media platform, Truth Social.
The GOP presidential candidate said on Saturday that Floridians should accept a ballot measure that would legalize cannabis in the state.
The proposed amendment will 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."
Florida voters will have the chance to vote for the new amendment this November.
If at least 60% of voters vote in favor of the law, the state will become the 25th state to legalize the use of recreational marijuana.
Trump, who deemed himself the "law & order" candidate, posted that the legalization will happen whether "people like it or not," although he stopped short of officially endorsing it.
"As everyone knows, I was, and will be again, the most respected LAW & ORDER President in U.S. History. We will take our streets back by being tough & smart on violent, & all other types, of Crime," he .
"In Florida, like so many other States that have already given their approval, personal amounts of marijuana will be legalized for adults with Amendment 3.
"Whether people like it or not, this will happen through the approval of the Voters, so it should be done correctly."
The business mogul explained that if the substance was going to be legalized, there needed to be strict laws controlling its use.
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"We need the State Legislature to responsibly create laws that prohibit the use of it in public spaces, so we do not smell marijuana everywhere we go, like we do in many of the Democrat run Cities. At the same time, someone should not be a criminal in Florida, when this is legal in so many other States.
"We do not need to ruin lives & waste Taxpayer Dollars arresting adults with personal amounts of it on them, and no one should grieve a loved one because they died from fentanyl laced marijuana.
"We will make America SAFE again!" he ended his post.
This is the closest the former president has come to taking a stance on the Florida ballot measure, which he will have the opportunity to vote for in November.
When the billionaire first ran for president in 2016, he said there were good and bad things about legalizing the drug.
"Because in some ways I think it’s good [to legalize marijuana] and in other ways it’s bad," he told Bill O'Reilly during a 2016 appearance.
"I do want to see what the medical effects are. I have to see what the medical effects are and, by the way — medical marijuana, medical? I’m in favor of it a hundred percent.”
Trump's main policy points
DONALD Trump closed the Republican National Convention on July 18, telling supporters he wanted to become president for "all Americans.
- Implementing tax cuts, including no tax on tips
- Protecting Social Security and Medicare - Trump said 'incomes will skyrocket and the middle class will prosper like never before'
- Protecting borders - He pledged to end the 'border nightmare.' That means two things on day one - 'Drill baby Drill,' as he said, and close the borders
- Finishing building the wall
- Keeping our 'sons and daughters safe'
- Replenishing the military and building a military 'dome' - Trump insisted he could stop wars with just a phone call and said no military would be able to penetrate the USA if he came into office
- Ending the war in Ukraine and imposing tariffs on Iran
- Vowing to "beat" China
- Working to decrease prices and ease inflation
- Bringing down the cost of energy
- Making cities 'safe, clean and beautiful' again
- Making it possible for Americans to buy gas-run cars by ending the electric vehicle mandate on the first day of his presidency
Trump's semi-favorable position on the ballot measure, known as Amendment 3, more closely aligns with opponent Kamala Harris and contrasts his Republican peer Governor Ron DeSantis, who opposes the legislation.
Harris has previously joked about smoking the drug, and said it's absurd that the government classifies marijuana as worse than fentanyl, reported.
DeSantis, on the other hand, has taken a more harsh stance against the legalization of marijuana, and Florida's proposed Amendment 3.
During a press conference on July 21, DeSantis publicly opposed the ballot, ABC affiliate reported.
"I'm not for it, I don't think it's good to do," DeSantis said. "I don't think we need to mess up the state."
The governor argued that the legalization of marijuana would lead to streets that reeked of the drug leading to a lower quality of life.
"You go to places like Denver and it smells like marijuana," he added.
"It's not been good for quality of life."
Republican billionaire Ken Griffin denounced Amendment 3 in an op-ed he wrote for earlier this month.
Griffin called the ballot "a terrible plan to create the nation’s most expansive and destructive marijuana laws," and said he donated over $20 million to candidates who are fighting against the drug's legalization.
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"Passage of Amendment 3 would create a monopoly for large marijuana dispensaries and permit pot use in public and private areas throughout Florida," he claimed.
"That will help no one other than special interests— and it will hurt us all, especially through more dangerous roads, a higher risk of addiction among our youth, and an increase in crime."