For Immediate Release: October 7, 2024
ICYMI: South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Board Endorses Amendment 3
Support continues to surge in campaign to legalize adult use recreational marijuana
(Broward County, FL) – Yesterday, the South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Board endorsed Amendment 3 on the November ballot as a pathway to a safer, freer Florida and the best avenue forward for the state.
Marijuana is already in Florida, the Sun Sentinel Editorial Board noted, underscoring that it’s time “to recognize the reality that many people will use it no matter what the law is.” Put simply, passing Amendment 3 is the “wiser course is for the state to regulate how it’s sold and to require that it be tested for potency and for dangerous adulterants,” the Sun Sentinel Editorial Board continued.
Passing Amendment 3 would put an end to needless arrests for simple marijuana possession and give Florida adults the individual freedom to consume marijuana already enjoyed by more than half of Americans in 24 states and Washington, D.C. Black individuals, the Sun Sentinel Editorial Board noted, citing ACLU research, are three times more likely than white people to be arrested for possession, even though usage rates are the same.
In addition, the Sun Sentinel Editorial Board noted that “[c]ontrary to opponents, Amendment 3 does not create a monopoly.” It’s true: Florida already has 25 licensed medical marijuana distributors, with and additional 22 applications currently pending approval by the state, underscoring the competitive market which is sure to expand following the passage of Amendment 3.
“Two questions: Is it time to stop criminalizing users? Should the sale and possession of small amounts be legalized and regulated to protect them from dangerously adulterated weed?” the Sun Sentinel Editorial Board wrote. “We believe the answer to both questions is ‘yes.’ The Sun Sentinel Editorial Board recommends voting yes on Amendment 3.”
You can read the entire endorsement by the Sun Sentinel Editorial Board HERE.
The Sun Sentinel Editorial Board’s endorsement joins a growing coalition behind passing Amendment 3, including local leaders and advocates from across the state and political spectrum. The endorsement joins that of the Tampa Bay Times Editorial Board, ACLU of Florida, SEIU Florida, Florida Alliance for Retired Americans, the Florida Democratic Party, former President Donald Trump, Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan, Democratic Gadsden County Sheriff Morris Young, Republican Bradford County Sheriff Gordon Smith, Republican State Sen. Joe Gruters, Democratic State Sen. Shev Jones, the Libertarian Party of Florida and many more.
“We are incredibly honored to have the endorsement of the South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,” said Morgan Hill, spokesperson for Smart & Safe Florida. “The rationale laid out in their endorsement underscores the key reasons why passing Amendment 3 is the most sensible path forward: regulate and test marijuana that’s already in the state, stop arresting people for simple possession charges and embrace policy that will bring Florida forward, not hold it back.”
For more information about Smart & Safe Florida and the campaign to legalize adult use marijuana in Florida, please visit www.smartandsafeflorida.com.
