Why Floridians must vote No on 3

Marijuana legalization would drastically hurt quality of life in the state

I had hoped to write a post about this a few weeks ago during early voting. Still, better late than never as they say. Even if one vote is changed as a result of this late election morning post, then I will feel it was worth it.

In my native Florida, voters are deciding whether to legalize recreational marijuana. If the initiative (called Amendment 3) passes, it would create a state constitutional right to possess and smoke marijuana.

Even worse and more absurd than creating a right to smoke marijuana, nothing in the amendment restricts where the drug could be used. That means Florida beaches, parks, and public spaces could be contaminated with the smell of weed.

Even though I have never smoked, I am not personally opposed to someone wanting to smoke within the confines of their own home. But I am strongly opposed to normalizing the behaviors and lifestyles of those that demand the ability to smoke in public. Weed culture is degenerate, and offers no benefit to society.

Take it from someone who lived in a state where smoking in public was the norm: allowing marijuana to be smoked in public drastically lowers quality of life. In New York, the right for potheads to smoke trumped my basic right to breathe clean air. I could not walk to work each day in the city without smelling weed. Weed dispensary trucks were on major street corners. Even Central Park, the place where New Yorkers can go to try and escape the hustle and noise of living in a major city was riddled with pot smokers and the smell of marijuana. Some studies have even shown that secondhand marijuana smoke contains many of the same cancer-causing chemicals found in secondhand cigarette smoke.

Proponents of marijuana legalization claim that regulating the industry will bring in hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue to the state. But they often ignore the obvious downsides and financial costs to public safety and health.

For example, Colorado, which was the first state to legalize marijuana a decade ago, continues to see an increase in fatal car crashes involving marijuana. In Oregon, marijuana legalization led to “significant increases in the rates” of property crime and crimes like burglary and motor vehicle theft. Some animal studies have also shown that prolonged THC exposure in adolescence causes “behavioral and cognitive abnormalities, such as poorer memory and learning ability and a heightened sensitivity to stress.”

Marijuana is also more potent than it was a generation ago. According to the federal government, which tested marijuana seized by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the amount of THC (the ingredient that causes a smoker to feel high) has more than tripled over the last few decades.

Researchers are also finding millions of Americans are addicted to marijuana. The New York Times reported on this and other harms associated with marijuana legalization.

Many users believe, for instance, that people cannot become addicted to cannabis. But millions do.

About 18 million people — nearly a third of all users ages 18 and up — have reported symptoms of cannabis use disorder, according to estimates from a unique data analysis conducted for The Times by a Columbia University epidemiologist. That would mean they continue to use the drug despite significant negative effects on their lives. Of those, about three million people are considered addicted.

The estimates are based on responses to the 2022 U.S. national drug use survey from people who reported any cannabis consumption within the previous year. The results are especially stark among 18- to 25-year-olds: More than 4.5 million use the drug daily or near daily, according to the estimates, and 81 percent of those users meet the criteria for the disorder.

One 2012 study even showed that marijuana use was tied to a loss of IQ points. The researchers found the more a person used marijuana, the greater the drop in IQ.

Arguing against the supposed economic benefits of marijuana legalization, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis rightly pointed out that legalization could harm the tourism industry. After all, why would people want to visit certain beaches if they reek of marijuana?

“What are you losing on tourism? What are you losing for restaurants? What are you losing for other things because this is now a part of Florida in ways that may be off-putting to a lot of tourists?” DeSantis said. “That may be off-putting to a lot of families. And so I think you would see revenue that we derive from tourism go down. And I think some other business revenue would go down as well. So it would definitely be, in my judgment, a net loss for the state of Florida.”

Proponents of legalization also argue that legalization is necessary, at the very least, because nobody should be in prison for smoking a joint. But that is not an issue in Florida. There is not a single inmate currently in a Florida prison for possessing 20 grams or less of marijuana. Not a single one. The idea that Floridians are jailed for simple marijuana possession is a lie and a distraction. In fact, according to the Florida Department of Corrections, the 37 individuals in prison for marijuana-related offenses all involve trafficking amounts. Each of the 37 had a prior criminal record which enhanced their marijuana sentences.

Because many of the practical arguments for marijuana legalization have little factual basis, it leads one to wonder what this push is really about. These practical arguments provide what appear to be reasonable and valid reasons to support legalization. But they’re merely covers for a much more sinister agenda.

At the top, marijuana legalization in Florida is being pushed by corporate interests that stand to reap the benefits while absorbing none of the costs. According to Open Secrets, Florida’s Amendment 3 initiative is the most expensive ballot initiative in the country. Over $100 million has been spent in support of its passing.

At the individual level, aside from ignorance on the issue, it comes down to those in society who want to force the rest of us to accept their drug consumption. They can hide behind arguments about tax benefits and criminal justice, but ultimately these individuals want to practice their habits with impunity. The rest of us be damned.

You have to ask yourself in all seriousness: what type of a person would smoke marijuana in public? Certainly not one I would want to know. What does it say about them? Are they likely to be financially successful? Is someone who smokes in public more or less likely to be someone who contributes greatly to society?

The answers are pretty obvious. Let’s not hand the state of Florida over to these people.