For Immediate Release: September 9, 2024
BREAKING: Florida Senate Democratic Caucus Endorses Amendment 3
Sen. Dems throw support behind legalizing recreational adult use marijuana
(Tallahassee, FL) – Today, Florida Senate Democratic Leader Designate Jason Pizzo (D-District 37) and the Florida Senate Democrats announced their support for Amendment 3 on the November ballot, the latest example of the bipartisan momentum behind legalizing recreational adult use marijuana in Florida.
“Marijuana prosecution has been rather disruptive for a lot of people’s lives at a great actual cost and expense to taxpayers, as well with the efficacy of those prosecutions really being rather de minimis,” said State Sen. Pizzo, former Assistant State Attorney for the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office. “I go back to my experience – I have to – as a prosecutor, when the hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of cases that I had to deal with for misdemeanor crimes – and then through juvenile, and then through felony – about what was actually making a difference, or what was making a dent in criminal behavior trends.”
“Too many Floridians have been wrongfully targeted and arrested for minor possession of marijuana, and Amendment 3 will stop that practice and protect Floridians,” said State Sen. Tracie Davis (D-District 5). “Passage of Amendment 3 will create jobs, stimulate economic growth and increase tourism in Florida. Bottom line of what I have today: If we’re voting yes on Amendment 3, that is a vote to protect all of our individual freedoms.”
“We’ve seen an increasing number of deaths and injuries caused by marijuana that has been laced with other chemicals, and legalizing recreational marijuana will mean that we are able to control this substance and make sure that people are getting what it is that they expect they are buying,” said State Sen. Geraldine Thompson (D-District 15). “I am concerned that we have too many people incarcerated in the state of Florida for possession of marijuana […] and legalizing recreational marijuana will allow us to address this kind of inequity. So I am supporting Amendment 3.”
“Whatever we can do to make sure that if someone is using recreational marijuana, which clearly they are, we might as well make sure it’s safe,” said State Sen. Tina Polsky (D-District 30). “And we might as well use that money for good. We are really missing out on a stream that is available to us, and we have so many healthcare needs and educational needs that we could use that money for. Lastly, I just want to say that we all know this Legislature will implement the heck out of this bill once it passes, and we are on board to make sure it’s done correctly.”
“We know that this is about fairness and making sure that our criminal justice system is no longer being weaponized against individuals for simple possession charges,” said State Sen.-elect Carlos Guillermo Smith (D-District 17). “We know that this is about creating potentially tens of thousands of jobs in Florida, hundreds of millions of dollars in additional tax revenue that we can use to improve our public schools, to improve public transportation and so many other things. But ultimately, voting yes on Amendment 3 is about freedom. It is about the freedom of individual and personal choice. We cannot continue to call this a so-called ‘Free State’ while continuing to criminalize individuals for simple cannabis possession charges.”
“We’re incredibly honored to have the support of the Florida Senate Democratic Caucus for Amendment 3,” said Morgan Hill, Smart & Safe Florida spokesperson. “Florida Senate Democrats understand legalizing recreational marijuana for adults in Florida means ending needless arrests and incarcerations of adults for simple marijuana possession and the expansion of individual freedom for Floridians.”
For more information about Smart & Safe Florida and the campaign to legalize adult use marijuana in Florida, please visit www.smartandsafeflorida.com.
