Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has voiced his support for a ballot initiative in Florida that would legalize recreational marijuana use for adults aged
21 and older. Trump made the announcement on Truth Social late Sunday, following a previous statement in August suggesting he was open to the idea of legalizing marijuana in the state.
Trump's endorsement of the initiative, known as Amendment 3, contrasts with the position of some fellow Republicans, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who has opposed the measure. During his presidency, Trump's administration generally resisted efforts to expand access to cannabis.
"As I have previously stated, I believe it is time to end needless arrests and incarcerations of adults for small amounts of marijuana for personal use," Trump wrote. "As a Floridian, I will be voting YES on Amendment 3 this November."
In his post, Trump also hinted at backing legislative efforts to ease banking restrictions for cannabis businesses that comply with state laws, a topic that has seen some movement since his own presidency.
"As President, we will continue to focus on research to unlock the medical uses of marijuana, reschedule it to a Schedule 3 drug, and work with Congress to pass common sense laws, including safe banking for state-authorized companies," he added.
The Harris campaign responded by pointing to Trump's past opposition to marijuana reform during his presidency. Joseph Costello, a spokesperson for the Harris campaign, criticized Trump's statement as pandering, saying it contradicts his administration's record on the issue. Photo by H. Zell, Wikimedia commons.