DeSantis, State Of Florida Under Fire For Taxpayer-Funded Anti-Cannabis Ad As New Lawsuit Emerges

Florida state Sen. Jason Pizzo (D) filed a court order Friday against the State of Florida for misusing taxpayer dollars to fund an ad opposing a cannabis legalization initiative, known as Amendment 3 that will go before the voters on Nov. 5.

The ad, produced by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), warns against the dangers of driving under the influence of cannabis. In the middle of the 30-second video warning viewers not to drive high, the narrator says, “DUI crashes increase in states with legalized marijuana, putting everyone at risk.”

Pizzo, a likely candidate for governor in 2026, and quite a few other Floridians took exception to the funding source of the PSA.

"Our challenge is to FDOT's [the Florida Department of Transportation] misuse of taxpayer dollars to influence the election as violating the appropriations power under the Florida Constitution," Pizzo said in a text message reported by The Floridian. "There is no appropriation for FDOT to spend money on elections."

I have directed our team to return and reject all contributions from Florida insurance companies. We'll also seek an injunction against the state's use of taxpayer (your) money for political messaging.

For years, our state has wasted precious time, and many millions, peddling…

— Sen. Jason Pizzo (@senpizzo) October 4, 2024

Read Also: DeSantis Provokes Outrage Over Taxpayer-Funded Ads Linking Marijuana Legalization To Car Crashes

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DeSantis Pulling The Anti-Cannabis Campaign Strings

Once the ad hit the airwaves, Smart and Safe Florida, the organization that helped get Amendment 3 on the ballot, sent cease and desist letters to 54​​ TV stations running the ad, calling it state-funded political propaganda and a “ruse to obtain the highly discounted rates” for airing PSAs.

The advocacy group accused Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and the GOP-backed Vote No on 3 political committee of using state resources to channel the message through a government agency, amplifying an opposition talking point at a lower cost.

Pizzo, the incoming Senate Minority Leader, apparently couldn't agree more.

"While coddled special interests have bankrolled the political crusades of a few, most of our constituents are worse off than they were yesterday, last week, and last year," Pizzo said in the X post. "We work for you, not them."

Oh Yeah, There’s Another Lawsuit

Meanwhile, medical marijuana giant Trulieve Cannabis Corp. TCNNF is suing the Florida Republican Party for "false and misleading" claims and for intentionally misleading voters with what it calls a deceptive TV campaign ad against the cannabis legalization initiative.

Read More:

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

Image created using artificial intelligence via Midjourney.