Collier County votes against weed amendment on Florida ballot

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Collier commissioners voted unanimously in favor of a resolution opposing Amendment 3, which would legalize the recreational use of marijuana in Florida.

The constitutional amendment proposal will be put to the vote in November.

The law would apply to adults 21 and older, and would allow them to possess up to three ounces of marijuana for personal use.

Commissioner Dan Kowal championed the resolution, saying the initiative is supported by many people who want Florida to “fail in the future” as other states have done after legalizing recreational marijuana, such as Colorado and California.

He argued that the amendment is a challenge to the state’s conservatism, which some outsiders find objectionable.

Kowal listed the many reasons why he opposes the measure. Among other things, he fears that it will increase the number of traffic accidents and that it will encourage more dangerous and harmful drug use, not only among adults but also among children in the region.

He recalled smoking his first cigarette at age 12, found in his own home. With the legalization of recreational marijuana, he fears the drug will become much more accessible to kids at home, who may not understand that it’s “not good” and start experimenting with it.

It could create a whole new generation with an “addictive personality,” he said.

Moreover, he argued that it would benefit the “drug cartels,” which would in turn undermine the private companies pushing the amendment.

“We are pumping a lot of money into the hands of drug dealers and people we don’t want to give the money to,” Kowal said.

Resolution mirrors that of the Florida Sheriff’s Association

A handful of speakers encouraged the passage of Kowal’s resolution, which paralleled a resolution passed by the Florida Sheriff’s Association.

Kowal once worked for the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, spending most of his time with the Special Enforcement Team and the Aggressive Criminal Tactics Team, which was assigned to Vice Narcotics, which investigates drug-related crimes.

Speakers in support of the resolution included local representatives from the David Lawrence Centers for Behavioral Health, Preserve Paradise and St. Matthew’s House, which has been fighting hunger, homelessness, addiction and poverty in Southwest Florida for more than 35 years.

Steve Brooder, CEO of St. Matthew’s House, said he believed the amendment would only lead to more addictive behavior and homelessness in the county and state, and that it would change Florida “completely,” and not for the better.

In addition, he said legalizing recreational marijuana would lead to more drunk driving, more respiratory problems and more heart disease.

According to Brooder, the consequences can be most severe for teens and young adults when they become addicted to the drug, which can disrupt their learning and development and lead to increased mental disorders and violence.

Jessica Spencer, director of advocacy for the Vote No on 3 campaign, a statewide effort backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, praised the county commission for speaking out resolutely against the amendment.

The amendment, she said, is simply a “monopoly” of big marijuana companies “investing $75 million to make sure this passes.”

“This is about corporate greed. This is not about personal freedom,” she said.

She pointed out that the measure leaves small businesses out of the equation, allowing Trulieve and a handful of other companies licensed by the state to grow and sell medical marijuana to expand their operations into the recreational market. Future expansion is up to the Legislature.

With the amendment’s passage, cannabis could become a more than $6 billion industry in Florida, putting it on the map as the “largest legal cannabis capital” of the country — and the world, Spencer said.

The 3 ounces allowed by the amendment is the highest in the country, she said.

She stressed that if the measure is passed, smoking cannabis would become possible “everywhere”.

“It does not ban smoking in public, and we will have this everywhere and smell it, not just in Collier, but throughout the state,” Spencer said.

Amendment 3 would be ‘completely negative’

According to Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk, everything he’s heard about the impact of recreational marijuana legalization in Colorado in particular has been “nothing but negative.”

In November 2016, Florida voters passed Amendment 2, a constitutional amendment that legalized full-strength medical marijuana for qualified patients. It didn’t change the laws prohibiting driving under the influence of marijuana, but it’s happening.

In the US, the number of drivers who tested positive for marijuana and were involved in fatal traffic crashes has increased from 14.8% in 2013 to 24.3% in 2020. According to Rambosk, this is an alarming trend.

Like Kowal, he expressed concerns about “black market operators and cartels.”

If the amendment is defeated, “the rights of citizens to live in a community where drug use is not normalized will be preserved,” Rambosk said, thus protecting their health, well-being and safety.

“We can’t even handle alcohol. So this isn’t going to do anything better,” he said, referring to the amendment.

He said it would only lead to higher crime rates in Florida, as has been the case in other states that have allowed recreational marijuana use.

More: Florida Supreme Court Approves Abortion Rights Amendment for November Vote

Resolution cites national statistics

The resolution cited national statistics, including:

  • The number of marijuana users nearly doubled between 2012 and 2022, from 31.5 million to 61.9 million.
  • The number of Americans with a cannabis addiction rose from 14.2 million to 19 million.
  • The number of daily or near-daily marijuana users rose to 15.1 million in 2022, compared to the 11.7 million who drank alcohol.

Other statistics cited in the resolution: After legalization, emergency room visits and admissions related to marijuana abuse increased 89% in California, and hospitalizations related to marijuana increased 148% in Colorado.

No one spoke in favor of or defended Amendment 3 at the hearing.

On Sunday, former President Donald Trump announced he would vote in favor of the proposal, putting him at odds with the governor and many other Republican leaders in the state.

“I believe it is time to end the unnecessary arrest and imprisonment of adults for small amounts of marijuana for personal use. We must also implement smart regulations while providing adults with access to safe, tested products. As a Floridian, I will vote YES on Amendment 3 in November,” Trump posted on Truth Social, his social media platform.

County Commissioner Bill McDaniel responded to Trump’s comments, saying the arrests and detentions are something that should be addressed at the “legislative level,” and not through a constitutional amendment.

If the measure, which has “a high polling rate,” passes, the region should be prepared to propose to the state Legislature how the tax revenue could be used to offset negative impacts on the local community, particularly mental illness, McDaniel said.

Other district commissioners strongly supported Kowal’s resolution.

Last year, the commission voted to maintain the ban on medical marijuana dispensaries within its jurisdiction, outside of city limits. The only dispensary operating in the county is on Marco Island, because the city allowed it.

Resolution described as ‘no-brainer’

Commissioner Rick LoCastro called the resolution against Amendment 3 a “no-brainer” and supported it with the same enthusiastic support he gave the county’s resolution against Amendment 4. That resolution will also appear on the November ballot.

In June, County Commission Chairman Chris Hall introduced a resolution to reject Amendment 4. The resolution described the language as vague, misleading and overly broad.

The amendment would limit government interference in abortion and allow abortions before viability is determined or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s health care provider.

More: Collier Board Votes to Condemn Florida Abortion Amendment. Here’s Who Said What

After county commissioners rejected Amendment 4, LoCastro said he received nasty emails accusing him and the board of trying to take away women’s rights. He asked Jeffrey Klatzkow, the county’s attorney, to clarify the effect of a resolution.

Klatzkow replied that a resolution merely reflects the board’s opinion.

“It is not binding on anyone,” he said.

The committee’s agenda had more changes than usual Tuesday, with several last-minute additions — and a few continuations. A handful of items, deemed noncontroversial, were pulled from the consent agenda for further discussion by the board.

The follow-up actions included delaying a decision on whether the county should take legal action to remove a controversial mural in East Naples that does not comply with regulations.

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