Smart Approaches to Marijuana President Dr. Kevin Sabet released the following statement after Florida voters rejected Amendment 3, which would have legalized the recreational use of marijuana.
“This is clearly one of Big Marijuana’s biggest defeats yet. Floridians have dealt a remarkable blow to one of the largest commercial marijuana companies in the U.S. and others in the addiction industry. With the rejection of Amendment 3, Floridians have taken a firm stance against the dangerous drugs the pot profiteers tried to convince the public are harmless.
“Governor [Ron] DeSantis was steadfast in his opposition to this initiative because he understands the dangers associated with these drugs, and we want to thank him for his principled stance for public health and safety.
“Trulieve spent over $141 million to try and fool Floridians into thinking more drugs in their communities would actually be a good thing for the economy, public health, and safety. The truth is that Amendment 3 would have been an unmitigated disaster for Florida. Had Amendment 3 passed, it would have made Trulieve and other drug companies exempt from ‘criminal or civil liability or sanctions’ associated with their dangerous products. Thankfully, voters saw through this web of misinformation and extraordinary corporate hubris.
“Today’s commercial marijuana products are medically and scientifically connected to depression, suicidality, IQ loss, psychosis, schizophrenia, and more. These consequences are especially concerning for young people, given that their brains are still developing. Normalizing a new addiction-for-profit industry won’t change the known harms of these drugs. Our thanks go out to all of our supporters for their hard work and dedication to defeat a referendum that would have been a disaster for millions of Floridians.”
Sabet is a former White House drug policy advisor to Presidents Obama, Bush, and Clinton.
