Ron DeSantis Slams Colorado's Legal Weed Program, Says It's Fueling Black Market

Ron DeSantis, on the campaign trail to become the 2024 GOP presidential nominee, is pulling out all the stops to attract voters as he continues to position himself as a warrior against drugs and a stalwart in the culture wars gripping the U.S.

In a Friday interview on Iowa’s morning radio network "The Big Show on KCPS," DeSantis blasted Colorado's legal marijuana program for doing a lousy job of squashing the black market, which he said might even be fueling it.

“There have been states like Colorado who’ve done things like legalized marijuana and the argument was, well, you want to have a black market? It will be above board, taxed and all that stuff, yet Colorado has a bigger black market of marijuana since they’ve legalized it,” said DeSantis, reported Florida Politics.

The Centennial State did not take the jab lying down.

“The facts are that Colorado voters approved the legalization of marijuana, which is curbing the illicit market, getting dealers off the streets, reducing youth use, funding school construction, supporting jobs and Colorado’s economy,” countered a spokesperson for Colorado Governor Jared Polis' office in a statement to Marijuana Moment. “Colorado is happy to provide the Florida governor advice on how to increase economic and personal freedom like we have in the free state of Colorado.”

DeSantis’ assertion also clashes with data collected by Leafly and Whitney Economics, which found that 99% of recreational marijuana sales in Colorado, which began 10 years ago, now take place through licensed retailers. These metrics paint a picture of a successful transition to a legal market after Colorado legalized adult-use cannabis in November 2012.

DeSantis On The War Path

DeSantis remains a staunch opponent of reform, both in Florida and on the national stage. Last month, he suggested that some of Florida’s 850,000 registered medical marijuana patients are using their conditions as a “pretext” for getting high.

Florida voters, despite the fact that their governor who, according to Florida Politics, “has been all over the place rhetorically during not just this campaign but his political career when it comes to cannabis,” are keen to legalize marijuana. Nearly 70% of Florida's voters support the upcoming legalization initiative that is expected to be decided at the ballot box in 2024.

Photo: Benzinga edit with images by Wikimedia Commons and Kindel Media on Pexels