Trump And DeSantis Supporters Love Their Cannabis: Is Rift Between Anti-Weed Politicos, Pot Users Brewing In The Sunshine State?

For years, marijuana legalization was perceived as a Democratic initiative, but this perception is shifting, as is so much these days. Young conservative politicians in Florida, such as Republican U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, are advocating for marijuana reform. Recent polls indicate that nearly half of white men without college degrees, a group that generally backs Donald Trump, support Florida's cannabis legalization initiative known as Amendment 3, which will appear on the November 2024 ballot.

While the image of a conservative cannabis user is becoming more accepted, the Republican Party of Florida and Gov. Ron DeSantis remain vehemently opposed to legalizing marijuana. This despite an early June Fox News poll showing that Amendment 3 was more popular than DeSantis himself and that two-thirds of Florida voters, including a majority of Republicans, supported cannabis legalization.

Read Also: DeSantis-Backed Group Launches To Defeat Cannabis Legalization In Florida, GOP Bigwigs Are All In

The MAGA Republican-Mary Jane Crossover

“You’ve got the MAGA Republicans who are ‘let’s live and let live, let’s get on the boat and smoke a joint and turn on the music,'” said John Morgan, a lawyer, advocate also known as “Pot Daddy” for his generous support in helping to bring medical marijuana to Florida. "And then you've got the RHINOs, the country club Republicans who are kind of against it."

An article by the South Florida Sun Sentinel published interviews with cannabis legalization supporters who are also Trump supporters, including a female evangelical Christian, a group viewed as nearly unanimously in the Trump camp. Another, who was legally voting after a marijuana conviction, said he voted for Trump.

These right-leaning marijuana users are generally younger and more critical of the political establishment than their anti-legalization counterparts, noted the article. They view marijuana as safer than opioids and alcohol and contend that legalization aligns with their values of personal freedom over government control — a traditionally Republican stance.

"The Republican Party of Florida was really vocal about not wanting voters to support legal marijuana in the state in the November ballot," said Dr. Luzmarina Garcia, a researcher and political science professor at Florida Atlantic University (FAU).

"But it also is a little paradoxical because this is a prime example of state's rights. So, getting this issue that could potentially be in the arena of the federal bringing to the state level an amendment is very much in line with conservative values."

Polls from the FAU lab show that while Democrats are the most supportive of legalization (58%), a significant number of Republicans (39%) also favor it. Notably, over 50% of white, non-college-educated voters support legalization, second only to Black voters. This suggests greater support among typically right-wing voters than previously thought.

"That's a big segment of the population," Garcia said. "Particularly one that tends to align with Republican values. I thought that was very interesting."

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Photo: Courtesy of Matt Johnson and Gage Skidmore on flickr