Donald Trump endorsed Florida's ballot measure to legalize recreational use for adults 21 and older, while also calling for responsible legislation to prevent public consumption issues.
The decriminalization of marijuana is widely supported in the U.S., with many states legalizing its recreational or medical use, and polls show strong support for marijuana legalization among younger people.
The Obama administration had a policy of tolerance toward marijuana, but the Trump administration's Justice Department cracked down on offenses, though most local prosecutors did not enforce federal law. The Justice Department is now considering reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug.
Florida's Amendment 3 to legalize recreational marijuana has bipartisan support, but is opposed by Gov. Ron DeSantis and some state Republicans, who express concerns about its potential impact.
Trump argued against criminalizing adults with personal amounts of marijuana, aiming to prevent unnecessary arrests and wasting taxpayer money, as marijuana is legal in some form in nearly 40 states, with recreational marijuana being legal in 24 states.
A majority of Floridians, approximately 64%, support Amendment 3. Governor Ron DeSantis launched a political committee to fight against the legalization. Senator Joe Gruters, a former leader of the Florida Republican Party, expressed support for Amendment 3 and praised Trump's stance on the issue.
The Harris campaign criticized Trump's contradictory stance on issues like marijuana legalization, highlighting the made-up nature of his policy proposals.
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq
Sources: Le Monde, ABC News, New York Post, The Hill, Barron's, Times of India, Deccan Herald, Breitbart, Newsmax, Benzinga, Indian Express, Indica News, Aktual24, Digi24, Latestly, Fox 35 Orlando, Action News Jax.