Why Senator Joe Gruters Urges Floridians To Vote #YesOn3
We have heard from many guests about the politics playing around the Amendment 3 in Florida, but we haven’t been given much of a picture of the benefits that will come from legal recreational cannabis in the state. That’s about to change. This Trade To Black podcast, Florida Senator Joe Gruters joins us to talk about why Floridians need to vote #YesOn3 as we approach the US federal election on November 5th.
If Floridians approve the ballot, Florida stands to become one of the largest legal cannabis markets in the world. Legalization could bring in revenue of a conservatively estimated $300 to $400 million dollars annually. This could contribute significantly to the state’s overall budget.
Already, Florida’s medical marijuana program has about 850,000 registered patients, but Senator Gruters says one of the most important aspects of Amendment 3 is bringing safety and regulation to the illicit market, which represents an estimated 2 million users. Legalizing cannabis would bring these consumers into a regulated system that ensures the product is safe.
There’s also the criminal justice aspect to consider. Cannabis arrests can have a lasting impact on people’s lives, making it harder to get a job and secure housing. Gruters points out that more than 16,000 people were arrested in the state last year on minor possession, and #YesOn3 would alleviate those numbers.
But what is the likelihood of Amendment 3 passing and what impact it would have on the overall perception and stigma of cannabis across the country? We’ll take a broad look at how public perception and the post-COVID economy have changed a lot of people’s point of view on the subject.
Governor Ron DeSantis’s views and comments on Amendment 3 and the hemp trouble are well known. Gruters notes that Florida’s legislature attempted to put guardrails on the hemp market, however Governor Ron DeSantis vetoed the bill, a decision Senator Gruters describes as “unfortunate.” Legalizing adult cannabis could help address hemp’s unregulated status. But if Amendment 3 passes, what will DeSantis do regarding hemp companies that have exploited loopholes in the current structure of the Farm Bill? We’ll discuss.
