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DeSantis lashes out at marijuana, abortion ballot initiatives

The Florida governor expressed his dislike toward both proposed amendments.

DAVIE, Fla. — Governor Ron DeSantis shared his opinion on the initiatives regarding marijuana and abortion that will appear on the November ballot at a press conference Thursday morning.

DeSantis called the initiatives extreme and said voters are unlikely to vote for them.

"Once voters figure out how radical both of those things are, they’re gonna fail," he said at the press conference in Davie. 

He said voters probably won't vote "yes" because they have developed a skepticism towards amendments. He said the writing is confusing and they'd want to automatically vote "no."

DeSantis questioned if the state needs to do more since medical marijuana is already legal. The initiative would make recreational marijuana legal for people 21 and older.

“This state will start to smell like marijuana in our cities and towns. It will reduce the quality of life," he predicted.

Current state law allows people over the age of 21 to buy marijuana if they have a medical marijuana card. If the initiative goes on the ballot and voters approve, people will be able to possess up to three ounces of marijuana for recreational use. 

On the abortion initiative, DeSantis said it "overrides parental consent laws." The initiative would block the state from prohibiting abortion up to the point of viability, which is the point where the fetus is viable outside the womb. This is usually around 24 weeks of pregnancy.

The Florida Supreme Court ruled on Monday that both initiatives can appear on the ballot after hearing arguments that the summaries were not clear.

The governor made his comments after signing Senate Bill 1638, which directs money toward protecting the state’s natural resources. 

The new law will require money from the gaming compact between the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the state to be deposited into the Indian Gaming Revenue Trust Fund for conservation efforts. 

In November, voters will decide to approve or vote down the proposed constitutional amendments. To pass the amendment, 60% of those voting on the amendment need to vote “yes.”

   

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