Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has confirmed that he will vote for Florida’s marijuana legalization initiative, Amendment 3. He also indicated that if he wins the presidency, he plans to work with Congress on federal marijuana reforms, including the SAFER Banking Act.
(Photo credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images).
In a recent social media post, Trump shared his belief that it’s time to stop arresting and imprisoning adults for possessing small amounts of marijuana for personal use. He emphasized the importance of smart regulations and safe access to tested products for adults.
Trump, a Florida resident, confirmed he will vote “yes” on Amendment 3, which is set for November, and as president, he will support rescheduling marijuana to Schedule III, a move pursued by the Biden Administration. He also highlighted his commitment to working with Congress on passing sensible laws, such as SAFE banking for state-regulated companies, while respecting states’ rights to enact their own marijuana laws.
This is Trump’s second recent statement in favor of marijuana reform. In an earlier post, he criticized wasting taxpayer money and ruining lives by arresting adults for personal marijuana use. He also predicted that Amendment 3, which would allow existing medical cannabis businesses to sell marijuana for adult use, would pass but did not initially confirm his voting stance.
Trump’s comments follow his recent decision to bring Robert Kennedy, Jr. and former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard into his transition team, both of whom have been long-time supporters of marijuana legalization. In the past, Trump had voiced concerns about the consequences of legalizing adult-use marijuana, suggesting it could cause “big problems” in some states.
On the Democratic side, Kamala Harris announced her support for legalizing marijuana in 2019. The same year, while in the US Senate, she cosponsored legislation to deschedule marijuana. Earlier this year, she became the first vice president to ever say “we need to legalize marijuana”.
NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said, “In an election where every vote counts, both Trump and Harris wisely see advocating for marijuana policy reform as an opportunity to connect with a wide range of potential voters.” He noted that recent polling from swing states — including Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin — finds that voters overwhelmingly back legalizing marijuana.
