TALLAHASSEE — The campaign behind Florida’s amendment to legalize recreational marijuana sent dozens of cease and desist letters to television stations across the state Tuesday, arguing that a Florida Department of Transportation public service announcement is “propaganda designed to influence the public’s vote.”
The public service announcement, funded by the stateand pushed out on the department’s social media last week, warns viewers not to drive high. In the middle of the 30-second video, the narrator says, “DUI crashes increase in states with legalized marijuana, putting everyone at risk.”
Smart & Safe Florida, the campaign that put Amendment 3 on the November ballot, sent cease and desist letters to about 50 news stations across the state. The news was first reported by Politico on Tuesday.
In the letters, the campaign claims that the media agent working with the Vote No on 3 political committee helped procure the air time for the state-funded PSA.
The campaign’s letter said the state deploying the video isa “ruse to obtain the highly discounted rates” for airing PSAs, and demanded they be able to air advertisements at the same discounted price if the television stations don’t cease and desist.
The Florida Department of Transportation did not return a request for comment Tuesday about how much the video cost to produce and air.
“Florida law demands that campaigns be operated in the sunshine,” the Smart & Safe letter said. “Accepting taxpayer funds to broadcast State Propaganda under the guise of a public service announcement – and at an anticompetitive and severely discounted rate – should not be countenanced.”
The campaign’s letter also accused TV stations of choosing not to air a “politically neutral” version of the PSA that the state sent.
If passed, Amendment 3 would allow people 21 and older to use marijuana without any medical purpose. It needs 60% voter support.
Gov. Ron DeSantis opposes the citizen-led marijuana initiative. The political committee opposing Amendment 3 is staffed with DeSantis allies, including his chief of staff.
DeSantis also opposes the other citizen-led amendment on the ballot this November, which would protect abortion access and undo the state’s six-week abortion ban. A political committee affiliated with him is working to defeat both amendments.
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The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration earlier this month launched a PSA directing people to a state website that argues the abortion initiative, Amendment 4, “threatens women’s safety.” That website is the center of two lawsuits arguing that it improperly uses state resources to try and sway the election.
The state health agency has ignored repeated requests for comment about how much the website cost to produce and how much the advertisement cost to air. DeSantis has defended the agency’s abortion PSA, saying it was “100% accurate.”
The Amendment 3 campaign sent dozens of cease and desist letters to TV stations across the state on Tuesday. Read More