Trump Goes To Bat For U.S. Cannabis: Criminalization 'Ruins Lives, Wastes Taxpayer Dollars'

By Todd Harrison via Cannabis Confidential (August 31)

Former President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he believes voters in his home state of Florida will approve a marijuana legalization initiative on the November ballot, arguing that "someone should not be a criminal in Florida when it’s legal in so many other States." Read More (and see below)

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"In Florida, like so many other States that have already given their approval, personal amounts of marijuana will be legalized for adults with Amendment 3… at the same time, someone should not be a criminal in Florida, when this is legal in so many other states. We do not need to ruin lives & waste Taxpayer Dollars arresting adults with personal amounts of it on them, and no one should grieve a loved one because they died from fentanyl laced marijuana." Former President Donald Trump 8/31/24

Full Statement

Former Chairman of the Florida Republican Party Joe Gruters:

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Project Right Now

Lest this note finds its way to the screens of either political campaign, we'll share the logic and reasoning on why U.S. cannabis must wiggle away from the War on Drugs:

Popularity: An overwhelming majority of American adults (78%) support the legalization of cannabis, recognizing its economic, medical, and social benefits, and 91% of the U.S. population supports legalizing cannabis in some form (Pew).

Economic: U.S. cannabis employs 500K Americans in state-legal jobs (Vangst) who sold $29B worth of product last year, which is estimated to grow to $37B by 2027 (Cowen).

Health Benefits: Legal canna provides patients with access to medical cannabis that helps manage conditions such as chronic pain, epilepsy, and anxiety, and thereby "improving quality of life." (Harvard). (broader list of indications here)

The U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services has already recommended changing the legal status of cannabis-based on overwhelming support for medical benefits.

Wellness: Opioid Use/Overdose: States with legal cannabis saw reductions in opioid prescriptions, use and overdose deaths, suggesting that it's a safer alternative for pain management (AMA).

Teens/Underage Use: Legalization doesn’t lead to increased cannabis use among teens as regulated markets ensure better control over sales and reduce access for minors (NIDA).

Criminal Justice: We can't replace the lost time for those who have been or remain locked up for non-violent cannabis offenses, but we can get the country back on the right side of history.

Over 40,000 people are currently incarcerated for non-violent cannabis offenses in the U.S., with racial disparities disproportionately affecting people of color (LPP).

Citizen Safety: As the federal government continues to impose onerous and arguably illegal taxes on state-legal operators, the illicit market has proliferated, supporting violent, organized Chinese crime rings.

Have a safe journey and please enjoy responsibly.

If you'd like to help Mission [Green] change federal cannabis policies, please click here.

CB1 has positions in / advises some of the companies mentioned and nothing contained herein should be considered advice.

This article is from an external unpaid contributor. It does not represent Benzinga’s reporting and has not been edited for content or accuracy.

Photo: Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, edited by El Planteo.