A Florida judge has dismissed a lawsuit against Gov. Ron DeSantis that accused him of inappropriately using state taxes to fund campaign messages against legalizing marijuana in the state.
DeSantis and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) have been criticized for a number of public service announcements that appear to have been created to influence residents to vote against a ballot initiative that would legalize adult-use cannabis.
The announcements have included messages that claim that legal cannabis can lead to higher car insurance premiums and warn marijuana can damage children’s brain development. There were even ads that tied marijuana use to domestic violence.
Although none of the announcements explicitly mentioned the proposal to legalize recreational weed, advocates accused the governor of using taxpayer dollars to fund political messages, which is illegal in the state. Democratic state Sen. Jason Pizzo filed a lawsuit against FDOT over the ads in early October.
But a Florida judge dismissed the suit last week, saying that Pizzo lacked standing and the ads didn’t mention the initiative.
Arkansas court throws out legalization measure
Last week, the Arkansas Supreme Court ruled that a ballot initiative that would have expanded medical marijuana did not clearly explain all of its effects. Since it’s too late to remove the measure, the court has ordered election officials not to count any votes cast for it.
According to the court, the initiative wasn’t clear on the fact that it would block legislators from ever altering the 2016 medical cannabis law.
But Arkansans for Patient Access, the advocacy group behind the initiative, argued past amendment measures haven’t needed to fully summarize the law being changed and the amendment was clear.
The initiative would have waived the application fee for medical cannabis cards and allow health care providers to conduct patient assessments via online video conferencing. It would also have eased some restrictions on cannabis advertising.
Texas cities vote to decriminalize
Early voting is underway in Texas and four cities will get the chance to decide on whether to decriminalize marijuana.
The biggest city to vote on the issue is Dallas, where an initiative decriminalize misdemeanor marijuana possession within the city limits. The proposal recently garnered media attention when country music star and marijuana advocate Willie Nelson came out in support.
The proposal was backed by Austin-based nonprofit Ground Game Texas, the same group behind similar initiatives on ballots in Bastrop, McAllen and Lockhart.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton unsuccessfully launched lawsuits against the cities of Austin, San Marcos, Killeen, Elgin and Denton for voting to decriminalize cannabis last year, arguing at the time that the initiatives contradicted state law.
It’s time for us, the majority of The People to take back control of our national cannabis policy. By voting OUT of office any and all politicians who very publicly and vocally admit to having an anti-cannabis, prohibitionist agenda! Time to vote’em all OUT of office. Period. Plain and simple.
Politicians who continue to demonize Cannabis, Corrupt Law Enforcement Officials who prefer to ruin peoples lives over Cannabis possession rather than solve real crimes who fund their departments toys and salaries with monies acquired through cannabis home raids, seizures and forfeitures, and so-called “Addiction Specialists” who make their income off of the judicial misfortunes of our citizens who choose cannabis, – Your actions go against The Will of The People and Your Days In Office Are Numbered! Find new careers before you don’t have one.
The People have spoken! Get on-board with Cannabis Legalization Nationwide, or be left behind and find new careers. Your choice.
The “War on Cannabis” has been a complete and utter failure. It is the largest component of the broader yet equally unsuccessful “War on Drugs” that has cost our country over two trillion dollars.
Instead of The United States wasting Billions upon Billions more of our yearly tax dollars fighting a never ending “War on Cannabis”, lets generate Billions of dollars, and improve the deficit instead. Especially now, due to Covid-19. It’s a no brainer.
The Prohibition of Cannabis has also ruined the lives of many of our loved ones. In numbers greater than any other nation, our loved ones are being sent to jail and are being given permanent criminal records. Especially, if they happen to be of the “wrong” skin color or they happen to be from the “wrong” neighborhood. Which ruin their chances of employment for the rest of their lives, and for what reason?
Cannabis is much safer to consume than alcohol. Yet do we lock people up for choosing to drink?
Let’s end this hypocrisy now!
The government should never attempt to legislate morality by creating victim-less cannabis “crimes” because it simply does not work and costs the taxpayers a fortune.
Cannabis Legalization Nationwide is an inevitable reality that’s approaching much sooner than prohibitionists think and there is nothing they can do to stop it!
Legalize Nationwide Federally Now! Support Each and Every Cannabis Legalization Initiative!