Former President Donald Trump advocated for legislation in Florida that would prevent marijuana from being used in public spaces, adding that people did not need to smell it everywhere.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump spoke about Florida’s Amendment 3, which would allow adults 21 and older to possess, buy, or use marijuana for non-medical reasons.
Trump noted that in an effort to make sure marijuana legalization is “done correctly,” the State Legislature needed to “responsibly create laws that prohibit” marijuana from being used in public spaces, “so we do not smell marijuana everywhere we go.”
“As everyone knows, I was, and will be again, the most respected LAW & ORDER President in U.S. History,” Trump wrote. “We will take our streets back by being tough & smart on violent, & all other types, of Crime. 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,” Trump added. “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.”
Trump’s stance on Florida’s Amendment 3 comes as Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) has stated the amendment is a “bad policy and even worse constitutional law.”
“Amendment 3: written by the CEO of a weed company that has poured $70 million (and counting) into the effort so that the company gets a constitutionally-protected monopoly on the market,” DeSantis wrote in a post on X. “This is bad policy and even worse constitutional law.”
If Amendment 3 receives 60 percent of support from voters, it would allow adults to “possess, purchase, or use marijuana products and marijuana accessories for non-medical personal consumption by smoking,” or being ingested, according to the ballot summary of the amendment.
People would be allowed to possess three ounces of marijuana.
While serving as president, Trump previously indicated that he would “probably” support legislation that would have allowed states to decide how they wanted to regulate marijuana and prohibit the federal government from getting involved “at the state level,” according to Politico.
Currently, there are 24 states, along with Washington, D.C., that have legalized medical and recreational marijuana, while 14 states, including Florida, have legalized medical marijuana, according to the Pew Research Center.