Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried On Wednesday, she emailed her political committee, Florida Consumers First, asking donors to help her “push for cannabis legalization.”
“Please help me today with a donation so that I can keep pushing for cannabis legalization to protect those affected by prohibited laws, improve access to medical marijuana, and build a consumer-friendly hemp industry in our state,” Fried wrote the email entitled “Legalize Marijuana”.
In the fundraising email, the approval of the Congress for Reinvestment and Elimination of Marijuana Opportunities (MORE) Take action earlier this month. The bill, expected to die in the GOP-controlled Senate, would decriminalize cannabis at the federal level. It would also wipe out federal minor marijuana crimes and introduce a 5% excise tax to help businesses and individuals “hit by the war on drugs”.
The democratically controlled house passed that with an overwhelming majority measure up with 228-164 votes.
“This historic vote marks the monumental progress our country has made in combating the racial injustices of the ban,” Fried wrote. “Legislature recognizes the urgent need to end misguided federal cannabis laws to correct the injustice of the war on drugs and its harm to color communities.”
Fried, Florida’s top-elected Democrat and a possible 2022 gubernatorial candidate, has long been a champion of cannabis in Florida.
The commissioner’s email comes after a 2020 election that indicated Americans generally accept cannabis across the country.
ONE Gallup poll The report, released on November 9, showed that 68% of Americans are in favor of cannabis legalization, twice as much as in 2003.
According to Gallup, voters in Arizona, Montana, New Jersey, and South Dakota supported and approved the legal use of recreational cannabis in the November 3rd election. In addition, Mississippi and South Dakota, along with 33 states and the District of Columbia, have passed laws to legalize or decriminalize the use of medical marijuana.
Florida, in particular, could be next on the list to make cannabis available in 2022.
Make It Legal Florida is urging a Constitutional amendment that would make adult cannabis available for personal use for whatever reason.
According to the summary of the amendment, 21 year olds and older “could own, use, buy, display and transport up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana and marijuana accessories”.
Florida law only allows cannabis for medicinal purposes.
Cannabis remains illegal at the federal level.