Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said Saturday he supports the adoption of an amendment to legalize the recreational use of cannabis for adults in Florida, his home state.
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A constitutional referendum on the issue is scheduled in Florida in November, at the same time as the presidential election. It is common in the United States for voters to vote on many local issues simultaneously with national elections. The issue is particularly sensitive for young voters, with a clear majority of those under 50 wanting to legalize recreational cannabis use.
“In Florida, as in so many other states that have already approved it, a personal amount of marijuana will be allowed for adults,” Donald Trump wrote in his Truth Social network.
“No one should be considered a criminal in Florida for something that is legal in so many other states. We don’t need to waste lives and taxpayer dollars arresting adults for possession of personal amounts of marijuana,” he added.
He nevertheless called for the adoption of laws against the use of cannabis in public “so as not to smell it everywhere, as in so many cities run by Democrats.”
During his successful 2016 presidential campaign, Donald Trump adopted a tolerant stance on the issue, repeatedly saying he would let local authorities handle the issue.
Once in the White House, he was more discreet on the issue, and gave his support to the hard positions of his Minister of Justice, Jeff Sessions, in terms of maintaining order.
In 2018, the latter revoked the federal policy of tolerance put in place by the Democratic administration of Barack Obama with regard to the legalization of recreational cannabis, giving prosecutors full latitude to pursue simple holders as they wish. But most had largely refrained from doing so.
Although three-quarters of Americans now live in a state where marijuana is legal, it is not yet legal at the federal level. The Justice Department under Democratic President Joe Biden’s administration formally issued its recommendation in May to reclassify it as a less dangerous drug than it currently is.
