Friday’s announcement by a hedge fund billionaire revealed that he is spending $20 million “in support of candidates and to oppose Amendment 3,” a Florida marijuana legalization proposal headed before voters in November. Of that, the Vote No on 3 campaign will get a straight $12 million donation.
Calling the legalization effort “a terrible plan to create the most expansive and destructive marijuana laws in the nation,” Ken Griffin, CEO of Citadel LLC, said
Describing his millions in campaign donations as “investing in Florida’s future,” the hedge fund manager from Miami, investor and entrepreneur
Released on Tuesday, the University of North Florida (UNF) poll shows that 64 percent of likely voters support the cannabis reform measure, exceeding the 60 percent level needed for a constitutional amendment to be adopted. Especially, the survey participants read the whole text of the Amendment 3 summary that will show on their ballots.
At 79 percent, Democrats were most in favor of the plan; followed by independents (63 percent) and Republicans (50 percent). Along with among those who voted for President Joe Biden (78 percent) and former President Donald Trump (50 percent), there was general support across every race and age group.
Griffin’s new contributions help to close the difference between supporters of the legalization proposal—who have raised far more generally, mostly from the marijuana company Trulieve—and opponent led mostly by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who has consistently attacked legalization.
Senior analyst Christina Pushaw of DeSantis’s team uploaded Griffin’s op-ed on social media and added: “Great points here. Whether you are for or against marijuana, the fact is that Amendment 3 is NOT what its backers try to brand it as. Don’t California our Florida!
According to a story in The Capitolist, Griffin’s gift would greatly support the efforts of the ” Vote No on 3 Campaign,” Sarah Bascom, spokesman for the campaign, said.
Grunter’s support of the legalization proposal came one day following the Florida Sheriffs Association (FSA) and the Florida Police Chiefs Association (FPCA) both denouncing of Amendment 3. Citing dubious data, they contended that the reform would lead to increases in youth use, impaired driving, illegal operations and tax costs for locals.
Attacking Amendment 3 at the Republican National Convention last month, the governor also made hyperbolic assertions regarding what the reform would allow—claims supporters say are “absolutely untrue.”
DeSantis said the proposed constitutional amendment would create a right to marijuana that would be more basic than First Amendment or Second Amendment protections for free speech and guns, respectively, calling it “limitless.”
