Canna-Miss: Effort To Legalize Recreational Marijuana in Florida Defeated at the Polls, Despite Support From Trump

AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell

Voters defeated an effort to legalize recreational marijuana in Florida on Tuesday, despite the amendment receiving support from former President Donald Trump.

The constitutional amendment, which would have allowed adults aged 21 and over “to possess, purchase, or use marijuana products and marijuana accessories for non-medical personal consumption by smoking, ingestion, or otherwise,” failed to receive at least 60% of the vote – the threshold necessary to change the state’s constitution.

With 85% of votes counted, just 55.7% of Floridians voted in favor of legalizing recreational marijuana, while 44.3 voted in opposition.

Opposition to the effort was strong in Miami-Dade county, with a majority of Floridians voting against the amendment.

The amendment was opposed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, and several prominent Republican politicians, including Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), as well as the Florida Republican Party.

“It would be everywhere. The state would smell like it,” warned DeSantis ahead of the vote. “We don’t need that in Florida.”

While support for the amendment came mostly from Florida Democrats, they were joined by former President Trump and Trump adviser Roger Stone, who criticized DeSantis for opposing the effort.

“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,” wrote Trump in a social media post in August. “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.”