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Cannabis ‘smells’ a pending victory in November

In the aftermath of Monday's Supreme Court decision in Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis finds himself stewing in discontent and perhaps disbelief. Legal cannabis and abortion access, now teetering on the edge of Florida's ballot, evoked the governor to speak up.

"Once the voters grasp the radical essence of these proposals, they're bound to falter," DeSantis proclaims. "They are a brash extremity."

Come November 2024, DeSantis foresees the demise of each proposal, thinking each will be unable to muster the required 60% voter consensus for enactment.

But wait, there's more!

The complex nature of each amendment draws skepticism from the governor.

"They're perpetually enshrouded in perplexity," he complained. "One can scarcely discern their true intent. No wonder voters default to 'no.'”

DeSantis also stated, “I think Florida voters over the past, you know, four or five cycles have developed a skepticism on these amendments generally, because they’re always written in ways that are confusing,” he said. “You don’t necessarily know what the intent is going to be. So I think that there’s a certain segment of voters, they default just vote no on these things because they know that these things cost tens of millions of dollars to get on, so somebody’s paying for that and somebody is going to benefit from that.”

A striking and compelling detail: DeSantis had a hand in the appointment of five of the seven justices who made the consequential call to allow the measures to be on the November ballot.

Flashback to yesteryears, when DeSantis gleefully touted the transformation of Florida's Supreme Court into a fortification of conservatism. Now, these very justices, for reasons best known to themselves or perhaps in the name of Liberty, tilt the scales towards a seismic shift — relaxing abortion constraints and ushering in recreational cannabis.

In a colorful tirade, DeSantis complained further about the impending assault on people’s noses should cannabis legalization pass. "It's not just decriminalization, it's a carte blanche to reek of weed everywhere," he sneers. "Our cities and counties will be awash in the scent, decaying our quality of life."

Yet, the question lingers: Will legal cannabis prevail in November?

Recall the resounding 71% approval for medical marijuana in 2016, a testament to Floridians' stance on cannabis. One could surmise a similar fate awaits this November.

Perhaps the lure of an estimated $450 million in tax revenue generated from recreational cannabis, an estimate done by the Tax Foundation, may help the governor’s conscience.

Let’s hope all Floridians stand together in the name of personal freedom and their right to choose to…

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