Trump says he will vote yes on Florida ballot measure to legalize marijuana

Former President Donald Trump said he plans to vote yes on a ballot measure in Florida to legalize marijuana, his clearest stance so far on the issue. “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,” the former president wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform late Sunday night. As a Floridian, I will be voting YES on Amendment 3 this November.” Trump said that if elected, his administration “will continue to focus on research to unlock the medical uses of marijuana to a Schedule 3 drug, and work with Congress to pass common sense laws, including safe banking for state authorized companies, and supporting states rights to pass marijuana laws, like in Florida, that work so well for their citizens.” Trump said last month that he expected the ballot measure to pass and called for Florida lawmakers to pass legislation banning the use of marijuana in public spaces. If passed, the ballot measure would permit residents over 21 to possess, buy or consume marijuana recreationally. “I support medicinal marijuana under a doctor’s orders, but I’m not even close to being ready to legalize another substance that changes your view of the world,” Kennedy said. Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., said he also opposed the use of cannabis recreationally, calling it “not a great idea.” “We have to have a national discussion about it, but I’m personally not ready to vote for it for recreational use in North Dakota, nor nationally,” Cramer said. In an interview with Newsmax TV last year, Trump acknowledged that the issue of marijuana legalization is a “pretty popular thing” among voters, but also expressed skepticism over marijuana use as a treatment to help people. The Trump administration took several actions against recreational marijuana possession and use, including reversing an Obama-era policy on marijuana that directed federal prosecutors against pursuing marijuana-related cases in states that have legalized the drug. In response to Trump’s support of the Florida ballot measure, Harris campaign spokesperson Joseph Costello dismissed the notion that Trumps supports reforms to marijuana-related laws, citing the Trump administration’s actions on the issue. “Despite his blatant pandering, Donald Trump cannot paper over his extensive record of dragging marijuana reform backward,” Costello said in a statement. “As president, Trump cracked down on nonviolent marijuana offenses — undermining state legalization laws, opposed safe banking legislation, and even tried to remove protections for medical marijuana.” “Donald Trump does not actually believe in marijuana reform, but the American people are smart enough to see through his campaign lies,” he added. He told NBC News that the state’s six-week ban is “too short” and that he would “be voting that we need more than six weeks.” But a day later, following backlash from some conservatives, he clarified that he would be voting no on the ballot measure. After reiterating his stance that women need “more time” than six weeks to decide whether to get an abortion, Trump said during an interview with Fox News he couldn’t support the amendment because “Democrats are radical.” Florida’s amendment would prohibit abortion restrictions prior to fetal viability, around the 24th week of pregnancy, but would also guarantee exceptions to protect the mother’s health. – This Summarize was created by Neural News AI (V1). Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-says-will-vote-yes-florida-ballot-measure-legalize-marijuana-rcna170197