‘People are blowing smoke’: State senator condemns ads that oppose legalizing marijuana

[[“value”:”

TAYLOR HERNANDEZ, WPBF 25 NEWS. AS YOU HEARD, GOVERNOR DESANTIS AND MANY OTHER REPUBLICAN LEADERS HAVE SPOKEN OUT AGAINST AMENDMENT THREE. THE FORMER CHAIR OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IN THE STATE IS AMONG THOSE SUPPORTING THE MEASURE TO LEGALIZE IT. AS ROZIER SPOKE WITH HIM ABOUT WHAT HE BELIEVES ARE MISCONCEPTIONS VOTERS MAY HAVE ABOUT THE LEGALIZATION AMENDMENT. WELL, THE STATE SENATOR HERE IN FLORIDA, WE TALKED TO EARLIER TODAY, WHO IS FOR AMENDMENT THREE, SAYS THIS IS A BIPARTISAN ISSUE. THAT’S WAY OVERDUE. VOTERS ARE PAYING ATTENTION TO AMENDMENT THREE ON THE BALLOT. IF IT PASSES, IT WILL BE LEGAL TO USE MARIJUANA IN THE SUNSHINE STATE FOR RECREATIONAL USE. THE VOTE NO ON THREE COMMITTEE WANTS VOTERS TO BELIEVE THAT IF THE AMENDMENT IS PASSED, PEOPLE WILL BE LIGHTING UP EVERYWHERE, MAYBE TRYING TO PROTECT THE YOUTH BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, LEGALIZED MARIJUANA MEANS A MORE BROADER PLAYING FIELD. WHILE MOST REPUBLICAN LEADERS OPPOSE AMENDMENT THREE, SARASOTA STATE SENATOR AND FORMER CHAIR OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF FLORIDA JOE GRUTERS ENDORSES THE AMENDMENT. IT’S AN INTELLECTUALLY DISHONEST COMMENT TO SAY THAT WE’RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO REGULATE THIS ONCE IT PASSES. HE SAYS, AS WITH EVERY CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT THAT HAS PASSED IN FLORIDA, THE LEGISLATURE HAS BROAD POLICE POWERS TO REGULATE THE SAFETY, HEALTH AND ANY OTHER ISSUE THAT COMES BEFORE THE STATE. HE SAYS THERE’S NO QUESTION THEY’RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO REGULATE THIS. IN FACT, HE SAYS, THE GUARDRAILS ARE ALREADY IN PLACE. FLORIDA IS ALREADY HAS THE BASIC REGULATORY FRAMEWORK FROM THE MEDICAL MARIJUANA LICENSES THAT WE PASSED, YOU KNOW, EIGHT YEARS AGO. HE BELIEVES THE TAX REVENUE GENERATED WILL BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY. THEY ESTIMATED RIGHT NOW BETWEEN 150 AND 400 MILLION. I ANTICIPATE IT TO GO TO PAY FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THE TOOLS AND EVERYTHING THEY NEED TO DO THEIR JOB. AND ALSO, WE CAN CONTINUE TO INVEST IN EDUCATION. HE ALSO SAYS THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN. EIGHT PEOPLE DIED USING MARIJUANA LACED AND FENTANYL ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO IN GADSDEN COUNTY IN PA