Public against governor in fight for marijuana legalization in Florida

The battle between the public and the governor over marijuana legalization is getting more and more chaotic, and DeSantis is NOT happy.

Florida has a troubled history with marijuana. Originally part of a tri-state growing area (Florida Panhandle, Georgia and Alabama)…the national transition to marijuana legalization has been rocky. Now, in the latest chapter of the fight for legal marijuana, the governor is upset that the desire of the state's citizens is more important than his focus on nanny state politics. In the battle between the people and the governor over marijuana legalization in Florida, it's clear who wants to win. The people have raised significantly more money than the governor and his allies.

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When medical marijuana was first put on the ballot, citizens were in favor. That was reasonable, given the number of veterans and senior citizens in the state. PTSD and chronic pain are two of the reasons cannabis has medical benefits, according to the American Medical Association, the Department of Health and Science. In general, Florida is among the top three states with the most retirees, a group whose support the governor could count on, but the state supported medical marijuana by 61%. When he said it wasn't enough, they voted for it again by 71%.

Photo by Cappi Thompson/Getty Images

When the public launched a ballot campaign to put recreational marijuana on the ballot, DeSantis and his allies swung into action. Florida's attorney general said the minimum threshold had not been met and accused the campaign of being misleading. The Florida Supreme Court disagreed and now the ballot is up for vote in November. The governor, however, is unhappy, saying the public is confused and they should rely on him on marijuana policy.

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In another setback, the governor's efforts to slow support appear to be failing. DeSantis' Freedom Fund PAC, whose stated goal is to prevent cannabis legalization and abortion access, has raised just $10,000. DeSantis did not want either issue on the ballot because it tends to attract Democratic, independent and moderate voters. Smart & Safe Florida, the committee leading the initiative that is the best-funded cannabis legalization amendment in American history, said it has raised over $60 million. Floridians Protecting Freedom, the group behind the proposed abortion rights amendment, has raised $20 million since the vote.

The state is home to the #Floridaman, so expect even more craziness leading up to the election.