Hemp Donations Fuel DeSantis And Florida GOP's Charge Against Weed Legalization, New Findings
As Americans are preparing to head to the polls on Nov.5 to decide the winner in the 2024 race for the White House, Floridians are about to weigh in on recreational cannabis legalization as well. Meanwhile, GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis has been leading the anti-marijuana charge in a months-long heated debate. The governor and the Republican Party of Florida have found a common language with hemp companies that already sell high-potency cannabis to Floridians, at least when it comes to opposition to a proposed constitutional amendment to legalize recreational marijuana in the state.According to a Miami Herald/Times investigation, the Republican Party of Florida and a political committee run by DeSantis' chief of staff have acquired donations from such businesses after the governor vetoed a bill that would have banned certain intoxicating hemp-derived products in the state in June. That bill would have outlawed the sale of products containing delta-8 THC and limited the amount of delta-9 THC, both of which are unregulated and widely available, including to minors.
