Whether Florida should legalize recreational cannabis went away as a significant campaign issue earlier this year after Smart & Safe Florida, the organization behind an initiative to put it back before voters this November, fell short of the nearly 880,000 verified petition signatures required to qualify for the statewide ballot.
That failure came a year-and-a-half after nearly 56% of Floridians voted to legalize adult use of recreational marijuana on the November 2024 ballot, a clear majority but short of the 60% required for passage.
While it’s not something voters will decide this year, Floridians might want to know where their candidates for statewide office stand.
Speaking during a “Business Women for Byron” campaign event Tuesday at the Getaway, a waterfront restaurant and Tiki bar in St. Petersburg, the first question asked by an audience member to GOP gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds was his position on the topic.
“I do not support recreational marijuana,” Donalds replied. “I think the current regulatory system around medicinal use is fine.”
Donalds has previously acknowledged that he was arrested for possessing “a dime bag of marijuana” as a teenager, and admitted to CBS Miami recently that he actually had sold small amounts of cannabis as a youth.
He now says that he doesn’t support expanding the legal use of weed beyond the 924,820 Floridians listed as qualified medical marijuana patients, according to the state Office of Medical Marijuana Use.
Acceptance on medical, but never for recreational
The other Republicans running for governor share Donalds’ sentiments.
“I oppose recreational marijuana in Florida,” investment firm CEO James Fishback told the Phoenix in a text message. “I have seen what it has done to cities that have already tried it, from New York to Chicago to Washington D.C. The foul stench of pot in public parks and outside our schools can never come to Florida.”
However, Fishback says he will always protect the right of those “with a legitimate medical purpose, including our U.S. military veterans.”
“No one should be denied herbal medicine and pushed toward addictive big pharma prescriptions for pain,” he said. “As Governor, I will protect medical marijuana. But I won’t tolerate hoodlums smoking pot in a public park, just as we already don’t tolerate them drinking in one.”
“I’ve been clear from day one. I am completely against legalizing marijuana,” Lt. Gov Jay Collins said in a video posted on social media on April 26. “We’ve seen the impact in other states, and that’s not where Florida is headed. I stand with Governor DeSantis on this. No compromises, and no money from the marijuana industry. That can’t be said for all of my opponents.”
“I’m against full blown recreational marijuana,” former House Speaker Paul Renner said Wednesday during a roundtable discussion of high energy prices in Hillsborough County.
“We have medical. It was put in the Constitution [in 2016]. If people want to get it, they can get it. And we opened that up to the extent where it needs to be, but I’m opposed to recreational. Period. If it came back on the ballot, I would campaign against it like Gov. DeSantis did.”
DeSantis announced in June 2024 that he would use a political action committee to fight the constitutional amendment on recreational marijuana, saying he could not believe that the Florida Supreme Court allowed the language of the measure to qualify for that November’s ballot.
He later used tens of millions of taxpayer dollars to campaign against both that proposal and another measure that would have enshrined abortion rights in Florida, according to a report by the Tampa Bay Times.
Where are the Democrats?
The Phoenix reached out to the two major Democrats running for governor this year: former GOP U.S. Rep. David Jolly and Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings.
“I think the governor’s role is to represent the majority of the state, and the majority of the state asked for it, and I think that we should do it,” Jolly told the Phoenix in a phone call Tuesday.
The Pinellas County Democrat says he actually voted against Amendment 3 in 2024, the one calling for legalizing adult use of recreational marijuana.
But since he announced his candidacy last year, Jolly has emphasized that he would work to implement all recent constitutional amendments that have been passed by a majority of Floridians but failed to get the high 60% margin required for passage.
“Recreational marijuana got more than 50% of the vote in the constitutional amendment process and I pledged to support the enactment and introduce legislatively any amendment that got more than 50% of the vote. That includes open primaries, recreational marijuana, and Amendment 4 on reproductive freedom,” he said.
The only major gubernatorial candidate whose stance the Phoenix was unable to clarify was Demings. While serving as the police chief for the city of Orlando in the 2010s, Demings opposed the constitutional amendments that would have legalized medical marijuana in both 2014 and 2016.
The Phoenix reached out by phone and by email to the Demings campaign for two days this week but did not receive a response. Calls to the phone number listed on the most recent press release from the Demings campaign were answered by a recording saying that the person with the number had not set up a voice mail system.
President Trump’s endorsed Amendment 3
One prominent Florida Republican who supported Amendment 3 in 2024 was President Donald Trump.
“As I have previously stated, I believe it is time to end needless arrests and incarcerations of adults for small amounts of marijuana for personal use. We must also implement smart regulations, while providing access for adults, to safe, tested product,” Trump posted on Truth Social in September 2024. “As a Floridian, I will be voting YES on Amendment 3 this November.”
In that post, the president promised that if elected back to the White House he would work towards changing marijuana from a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act to a Schedule III drug — which he did in December in an executive order.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced last month that it would immediately move FDA-approved marijuana products, along with items regulated by a state medical marijuana license, to Schedule III. That puts medical cannabis into the group of regulated drugs with recognized medical uses, such as Tylenol, rather than Schedule I drugs, like heroin and LSD, which are considered to have no medical use and have a high potential for abuse.
–Mitch Perry, Florida Phoenix
JimboXYZ says
The problem with legalizing recreational cannabis is that we just have too many that will operate a car under the influence. Nobody wants to be the victim of a auto accident for that. Isn’t that ow most are caught ? Being pulled over or the vehicle wreaking of pot ? Just like alcohol, won’t be able to drive under the influence, just like while intoxicated. Doesn’t seem to deter either type of motorist from committing the infraction. Do they perceive that as proactive, self medication ? And it just isn’t justifiable to say more drunk drivers maim & kill than pothead stoners ? 1 injury is too many for either. Ask the dude that got clipped on his motorcycle, hit by the truck on Belle Terre what that feels like, and that was a case where there wasn’t booze, pit or other drugs involved. I can’t imagine what that felt like in the moment, what it felt like during recovery & what it’s going to feel like going forward for a lifetime of reduced capability. They can legalize that much for the recreational all they want. Nobody will be sympathetic when the drugs are the reason why they didn’t succeed in life. I don’t want a pothead working for me on any project around my property. When one does the math on it, does it make any sense to be an employer and deal with the liability & risks for one screw up for being stoned ? Injure yourself stoned, I don’t want that healthcare bill to influence the inflationary cost of already unaffordable healthcare. Find another hobby ? Life is better substance abuse free. Just look at anyone’s life before they smoked pot vs as a cannabis abuser.
Laurel says
Not a problem in Flagler Beach, where the speed limit everywhere is 20 mph. Very cannabis friendly!
Samuel L. Bronkowitz says
Full legalization in florida would be a very good thing because it would offer a much healthier alternative to republican voters than the crack that they’ve been smoking
melly says
A lot of people who would otherwise agree with making cannabis fully legal draw the line at NOT BEING ABLE TO GROW THEIR OWN.
That “majority” Jolly speaks of was a lot of thumb-on-the-scale big out of state and dark money.
Florida doesn’t want this if it hands a monopoly to Trulieve and its benefactors, like Jolly, Donalds, and Trump’s Chief of Staff Susan Wiles. They’re all part of this push, especially Wiles. And they are ruining it for actual MMJ patients who depend on good, clean, untainted by fentanly MJ products.
So sick of this greed and obnoxiousness on the subject. NOBODY CARES about people using it successfully as medicine.
JimboXYZ says
They do find creative ways to legalize their drug dealing ways ? I simply don’t want a grow house next to me. Read about a few in Miami, FL. The fire & explosive hazards, not to mention that drug addicts & other dealers commit other crimes for robbing each other, stealing from anyone they can to “feed their heads”. That’s not lowering the crime rate, that’s just legalizing the crime(s). The suits, those golks see cannibis sales as nothing more than a revenue stream that they really don’t have to do much to harvest. Lemme guess ? who is going to monitor the tax on this ? The IRS is staffed by the rest of us, those of us that don’t want drug addicts or dealers around their families & homes. Law enforcement will still be involved for every domestic call that involves the drug addicts & dealers that still is a statute or ordinance violation. There will be gun play involved too. Back in Dec 2020, P-Section had a home invasion that involved a 32 year old felon, (3) 15 year olds that are all in prison now over a $ 400 marijuana deal that involved indoor shooting for the drug dealer family that lived there. Nobody wants that around. Why should anyone’s plot of property taxable land become a potential war zone. I don’t even want to see the recreational abuser standing out by the road conducting a transaction. Loitering in front of my residence.
Just close your eyes, connect the dots & imagine it. We have local politicians that couldn’t connect those dots for growing approved residential for flooded lots, increased traffic for gridlock ? They call that a better quality of life. We sure are paying for that nonsense every day, more & more. It paid some well, not the majority of us anything beyond the cost of living doubling up for a minimum wage that took it’s time to get closer to $ 15/hour from $ 7.35/hour.
Samuel L. Bronkowitz says
This all started with long hair and rock and roll
T says
Republicans lie and say people will be walking around smoking it and etc their is still laws to follow i know Republicans dont like the law when not in favor but its facts
melly says
There’s a lot of “looking the other way” on this at pubs in the area. Just saying. They’re in an ‘enclosed area’ but it’s a public place and maybe not everybody wants to be around it? So now you’re gonna have Karens complaining and people getting removed for “smoking in public”, it’s just so tedious. Thing is, “full legalization” will only make that sort of thing worse–except now we have to get the cops to remove the Karens instead of the smokers.
Where does this end? It’s a PLANT. But your Team Blue wants to profiteer the hell out of it, and damn the environment and people who are successfully using the medical program.
Laurel says
Only women you don’t like, with the same name, will complain?
Mr. Bill says
I don’t think it should be illegal but I do think that the pot they sell and the gummies are way too powerful and way too much THC.
I have a brother that is right now struggling with CHS.
From Cleveland Clinic:
Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS) is a condition caused by long-term, chronic cannabis use, resulting in severe, cyclical nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. It frequently leads to emergency room visits, with symptoms often temporarily relieved by hot showers. The only known cure is permanent cessation of cannabis use.
Symptoms: Intense nausea, recurrent vomiting, severe abdominal pain, dehydration, and weight loss.
Laurel says
Mr. Bill: On this I agree with you. Today’s stuff is so strong, it plasters you against the wall. It’s not the fun, giggly stuff of the past. However, that could be changed.
We should be free to grow a couple plants in our own yard. To make it illegal, supports the criminal element.
Samuel L. Bronkowitz says
It’s almost like you could just smoke less of it
Not Stoned says
Visit Colorado. Seems everywhere you go there you can smell pot. I personally detest the smell. Would very much like the laws to stay the way they are now.
Laurel says
Make cigarettes and cigars illegal then, they stink far, far worse.
Skibum says
The statistics I reviewed showed that Florida ranks within the top 10 states for DUI arrests. I’m sure there are many more intoxicated drivers on our state’s roads and highways that escape arrest simply because out of all 50 states, FL has the fewest highway patrol troopers in the nation.
Not only do I agree with you that FL should not legalize recreational marijuana because there would undoubtably be even more drivers on the road who are under the influence of intoxicants and/or drugs, I believe the laws in our state, and particularly the penalties for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol should be revised with stricter criminal penalties.
National statistics show that 1/3 of all traffic deaths in the U.S. are caused by alcohol impaired drivers. It may be too early to quantify and revise those statistics for traffic deaths caused specifically by drug (marijuana) impaired drivers after states have legalized recreational use, but you can be sure the toll is higher that alcohol only traffic deaths.
There is no upside of weakening the laws around recreational marijuana use when it comes to traffic safety.
Laurel says
Come on, Skibum, they’re already on the road, and have been for decades. That includes the legal medical users (and we all know how hard it is to get there). There is no way to compare, and equate weed with whiskey.
Skibum says
Laurel, I do agree with you that they are already on the road. So were intoxicated individuals who left one of the speak easies during prohibition and got behind the wheel and drove home after drinking illegal alcoholic drinks. The end of prohibition made the problem of drunk driving worse simply because more people drank and got behind the wheel of automobiles after it became legal to drink.
I’m not opposed to legalizing marijuana because I am of the opinion that it is bad. I’m opposed to it just like any mother or member of MADD would be who lost a child to a drunk driver, knowing that making a public safety issue legal just magnifies the potential for abuse. If we as a society could somehow ensure that marijuana users would use common sense and refrain from getting behind the wheel after consuming enough mj to impair their ability to drive safely, then I would have no issue with it.
We already have a huge problem with DUI caused death and destruction on our nation’s roads and highways. Recreational use legalization will only make the statistics go up, not down, and more people including children will needlessly die as a result.
I take this issue so personal because of the many very difficult death notifications I have had to deliver to grieving families who’s lives were torn apart by an intoxicated driver. Death notifications are probably the hardest thing a cop has to do, and they tend to stick with you long after retirement. I’ve been retired now for nearly 14 years and I can still see some of the faces of the survivors I had to give that heartbreaking news to, and it still affects me all these years later, especially when it was a young child who was killed by an intoxicated driver.
There’s no way I want to make our national DUI problem worse, which is exactly what will happen when recreational use is allowed in every state.