DeSantis Urges GOP To Oppose Cannabis Legalization As Party Splits Over Trump Marijuana Endorsement

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is not happy with his GOP colleagues, whom he says are not doing enough to stop passage of Florida’s cannabis legalization ballot, known as Amendment 3, which will be voted on at the upcoming November elections.

"You say you're all about these issues, and then when it's time to do something about it you're nowhere to be found," DeSantis told a gathering in a Tallahassee church. "That is what courageous leadership is all about."

What's The Problem?

For starters, the proposed amendment was recently endorsed by former president Donald Trump as well as Florida's Young Republicans.

This cannabis stand-off between Trump and DeSantis seems to have many State Republicans keeping their weed views to themselves as they weigh their allegiances between the governor and former president amid a close national election and an even closer battle between the yeas and nays of legal cannabis. Although, the Florida Republican Party voted unanimously against the marijuana legalization amendment in May, the situation has drastically changed since then.

Read Also: DeSantis-Backed Anti-Cannabis PACs ‘Blew Through’ $116K At Fundraiser, While Pro-Pot Group Holds $90M War Chest

How Deep Is The Split?

Former GOP state senator and legalization supporter Jeff Brandes told Politico that at least half of Florida Republican legislators agree with Trump, but they don't want a rift with DeSantis.

"This is just evidence that the legislature is completely impotent when it comes to taking this thing on and doing this legislatively," Brandes told the outlet. "They are unwilling to do the hard work because they don't want the smell of the devil's lettuce on them."

Desperate Move? DeSantis Calls Fraud Among Petition Gatherers

Meanwhile, supporters of the cannabis initiative and a proposed constitutional amendment enshrining abortion rights met the stringent requirements for gathering petition signatures in accordance with Florida law. However, DeSantis says they're not strict enough and is calling for more anti-fraud measures.

"There's a lot of money that's at stake here," DeSantis said this week, reported the Orlando Weekly. "People make money off the petition process. There’s an incentive to commit fraud. The Legislature tried to address it, but I don’t think that they’ve addressed it adequately."

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Photo: Courtesy of Matt Johnson and Gage Skidmore on flickr