Benzinga - by Maureen Meehan, Benzinga Editor.
Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) took another swipe at the cannabis legalization amendment Floridians will vote on in the November 2024 elections. This time, he went after those whom he believes will smoke pot near K-12 schools.
"So someone walking by an elementary school just sitting there toking up, that's somehow okay?" DeSantis said on Wednesday to reporters at an event in Miami. "How is that good for the state of Florida?"
The proposal, known as Amendment 3, was approved recently by the Florida Supreme Court to advance to the November ballot. The amendment, organized by Smart and Safe Florida, indeed provides lawmakers with the authority to "limit outdoor and public consumption" just as the state does for public consumption of tobacco.
Nevertheless, DeSantis Persisted "This amendment is the broadest amendment yet and I think it's basically going to green light marijuana usage in all these different parts of the state where we don't want that to happen," he said, reported Florida Politics. "That is not good for families, that is not good for the elderly."
And then he went after the cannabis companies that support Amendment 3, all of whom happened to be at the Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference just several miles away in Hollywood, Fla. as he spoke.
"People aren't putting tens of millions of dollars behind that out of the goodness of their heart," DeSantis said. "They are going to make a lot of money if that amendment passes so you'd be making some companies very, very rich."
While he didn't mention them by name, it is no secret that other cannabis companies — in addition to the Trulieve Cannabis Corp (OTCQX:TCNNF) — have also joined in to support the initiative to the tune of at least $15 million, so far. The companies now involved in funding the proposal include Verano Holdings Corp (OTCQX: VRNOF), Curaleaf Holdings Inc (OTCQX: CURLF), AYR Wellness Inc (OTCQX: AYRWF), Cresco Labs Inc. (OTCQX: CRLBF), Green Thumb Industries Inc (OTCQX: GTBIF) and INSA, Inc.
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