Trulieve Sues Florida GOP For Defamation Over 'False And Misleading' Claims As Cannabis Legalization Vote Looms

Trulieve Cannabis Corp. TCNNF filed a defamation lawsuit on Wednesday, accusing the Florida Republican Party of intentionally misleading voters with a deceptive TV campaign ad against the cannabis legalization initiative, known as Amendment 3 that will go before the voters this coming November.

The lawsuit alleges that the ad misleads voters by falsely implying that only large cannabis companies, like Trulieve will benefit from the legalization measure, while ordinary Floridians would be prohibited from growing their own marijuana.

The ad features a gardener apparently excited by the news of marijuana legalization but is then interrupted by a character called “Big Weed,” who claims that only large corporations can legally grow cannabis under the proposed amendment.

Trulieve's legal team argues that the “Big Weed” character is a clear reference to their company, Florida's largest medical marijuana operator, which has contributed more than $90 million to the cannabis legalization campaign. The lawsuit contends that this narrative is not only false but strategically designed to deceive voters into believing that Amendment 3 would create a monopoly for already established cannabis companies.

Read Also: Trump, Harris, Vance And Walz Agree On This: End Cannabis Criminalization In Florida

Home Cultivation Controversy

The issue of home cultivation has become a point of contention in the debate over Amendment 3. Opponents say the amendment will solidify the dominance of the state's licensed medical marijuana operators like Trulieve by allowing them to control the recreational weed market.

However, Trulieve's lawsuit contends that the proposed amendment does not address nor change the existing ban on home cultivation of marijuana. According to the company, the controversial TV ad falsely suggests otherwise.

DeSantis And Florida GOP On The War Path

The lawsuit also highlights a mailer distributed by the Republican Party of Florida, which accuses "mega marijuana corporations" of orchestrating a “power grab” to eliminate competition and cement their monopoly.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) has claimed that Trulieve authored the amendment and is creating a "de facto monopoly” and “weed cartel.”

Trulieve's lawyers assert, according to the Miami Herald, that this claim is equally misleading, and that the amendment would actually enable the state Legislature to expand the number of licensed marijuana operators, thereby increasing competition in the market.

GOP: Lawsuit Is ‘Overreaction’

Republican Party of Florida representative Anthony Power dismissed the lawsuit as an overreaction. "It's funny that a company that spends almost $100 million on a political campaign is so sensitive about honest TV ads," Power said in a statement, per the outlet. He characterized the lawsuit as an attempt to silence critics and vowed to continue opposing the measure.

In filing the lawsuit, Trulieve said it is seeking "to set the record straight, to vindicate its rights under civil law, to hold the defendants accountable for deceiving voters, and to recover compensatory and punitive damages."  

With voting by mail already underway in Florida, this will surely be an ongoing story, so stay tuned.

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