Here’s how Florida leaders, political voices and the pot industry and others in politics are responding to the news:
Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers looks to future
Trulieve spent a fortune to get Amendment 3 to pass.
Florida’s largest medical marijuana operator contributed the vast majority of the more than $150 million received by Smart & Safe Florida, the group running that pro-legalization campaign.
That mountain of money wasn’t enough.
“Proud to have fought the fight — we left it all on the field,” said Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers in a Tuesday night statement. “Looking forward to working with the Legislature on the next steps to ensure safe access to marijuana for adults in Florida, decriminalization for personal possession and home grow.”
The Florida Chamber of Commerce takes a victory lap
The Florida Chamber of Commerce commonly comes out against constitutional amendments, and Amendment 3 was no exception.
It gave itself a pat on the back on Friday for the measure’s failure.
“The Florida Chamber of Commerce united the business community to help defeat Amendment 3 to keep drugs out of the Florida Constitution,” it said in an emailed statement.
The group said on social media: “Amendment 3 went up in smoke! Grateful to stand with Governor Ron DeSantis, First Lady Casey DeSantis, law enforcement, and local businesses to protect our Constitution and keep Florida, Florida. #Don’tCaliforniaMyFlorida.”
Big marijuana CEO calls result ‘disheartening’
The CEO and chairman of one of Florida’s largest medical marijuana companies called the failure of Amendment 3 “disheartening.”
“This initiative represented a significant opportunity to expand access to tested, regulated legal cannabis for Floridians,” said Boris Jordan of Curaleaf in a statement. “We are thankful to everyone who supported Amendment 3, and remain optimistic about the future and will persist in our efforts to drive positive change in Florida and beyond.”
The company had contributed several millions dollars to the pro-amendment campaign.
In an interview last month, Jordan told the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida that he expected the measure to pass.
Curaleaf has more than 60 medical marijuana stores in Florida but Jordan said the plans were to have more than 80 by the time the amendment could take effect in late spring.
The company also has been dramatically increasing the capacity of its Florida processing plants in preparation of providing a recreational product.
“We’ve invested this year almost $70 million into Florida,” Jordan said at the time. “We’ll invest probably another $20 (million), $30 million next year in order to build out our capacity so we can meet the demand of adult use.”
In Tuesday night’s statement, Jordan emphasized that his company’s success was “never contingent upon this amendment.:
“We will continue forward with the same strategy we had been operating against,” he said.
Frost calls for federal investigation following measure’s failure
Democratic U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost of Orlando called for a Department of Justice investigation following the failure of Amendment 3 as well as Amendment 4, the abortion access amendment.
“DeSantis spent tens of millions of taxpayer money against abortion rights and legalizing marijuana,” he said on social media. “This criminal and abuse of state dollars must be investigated by the Department of Justice immediately.
The state spent many millions of dollars on advertising geared against Amendment 3. Smart & Safe Florida, the group running the pro-amendment campaign, previously said an audit found the state had spent an estimated $50 million since September in marijuana televisions ads alone.
That was mixed with numerous anti-recreational marijuana press conferences the governor hosted across the state.
DeSantis chief of staff thanks team for ‘everything they sacrificed’
James Uthmeier, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ chief of staff, took to social media Tuesday night to thank the governor and others for “everything they sacrificed” working to tank Amendment 3.
“We fought the good fight, we kept the faith, and we finished the race,” wrote Uthmeier, who in his “personal capacity” was a leader in groups advertising against the measure. “To other states facing these challenges — you can win, but you must fight!”
He was also referring to the failure of Amendment 4, the abortion access amendment. Dozens of other states already allow recreational marijuana. But most state require only a simple majority of the vote to pass amendments.
One big reason the ballot battles over Amendments 3 and 4 in Florida were so expensive is that state voters approved an amendment in 2006 raising the approval threshold from 50% to 60%. Reaching 60% is difficult — that 2006 measure passed by only 58%.
Statements from the dueling campaigns
When acknowledging defeat Tuesday night, Smart & Safe Florida, the group that pushed Amendment 3, said its work wasn’t over.
“While the results of Amendment 3 did not clear the 60% threshold, we are eager to work with the governor and legislative leaders who agree with us on decriminalizing recreational marijuana for adults, addressing public consumption, continuing our focus on child safety, and expanding access to safe marijuana through home grow,” it wrote in a statement.
Vote No on 3, the campaign against the amendment, used a far less cordial tone in its celebratory statement.
“Even after spending over $150 million — the most in any drug legalization effort in American history — the people of Florida saw through Amendment 3’s web of deception and defeated this corporate power grab,” wrote Vote No on 3, the campaign against the amendment.
“Here in the Free State of Florida, we protect our kids, our way of life and our Constitution.”
H/T: www.tallahassee.com
