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Sheriff Grady Judd claims Amendment 3 is about ‘corporate greed’ during meeting with Florida’s first lady

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Updated  October 22, 2024 7:14pm EDT
Polk County
FOX 13 News

Amendment 3 battle heats up as election day nears

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd joined Florida’s first lady Casey DeSantis and Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo on Tuesday for a round table discussion about Amendment 3. FOX 13’s Carla Bayron reports. 

BARTOW, Fla. - Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd and Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis spoke against Amendment 3 during a press conference on Tuesday.

They were joined by Florida Department of Health Surgeon General Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo and a panel of other speakers at First Baptist Church Bartow "Fellowship Hall" in Bartow. 

Amendment 3, "Allows adults 21 and over to possess, purchase or use marijuana for nonmedical personal consumption by smoking, ingestion or otherwise."

MORE: Amendment 3: Here’s what it means for Florida voters

The state and local leaders agreed that cannabis use has a negative impact on health, addiction, crime and road safety. It also poses mental health risks, especially to children.

"The New York Times acknowledged in an article about schizophrenia risk," said Ladapo. "There being fairly good evidence that adolescent boys are developing schizophrenia as a direct result of using marijuana." 

Man smoking marijuana

File: Man smoking marijuana

They warned the way the amendment is written means that recreational marijuana cannot be banned from being smoked in public.

"Bars, malls, apartment complexes, hotels, movie theaters, sidewalks, you name it. If amendment three passes, you will be subjected to the unrelenting smell of pot and so will our children," said DeSantis. 

READ: Milton aftermath: What to know about mail-in, early voting after back-to-back hurricanes

They also claimed the amendment is all about corporate greed. 

"They can't be sued for any of the subsequent actions in the legal world they call it but for your conduct this wouldn't have happened," said Sheriff Judd. "By the way, if this was for the legalization of marijuana, why can't you grow a plant in your backyard?"

File: Marijuana plant

State Sens. Joe Gruters (R-Sarasota) and Shevin Jones (D-Miami Lakes) said they support Amendment 3 and recently joined forces to record an ad for "Smart and Safe Florida," the group that collected over a million signatures backing Amendment 3. 

"Look at these individuals who we have placed in wrongfully put in jail for low amounts of marijuana," Jones argued.

"My perspective is, I think we need to regulate and put the guardrails up," said Gruters. 

READ: Marijuana laws by state ahead of the 2024 presidential election

The state legislature would have to create a set of rules governing where you could smoke, how it would be taxed and where those funds would go.

"We could take those proceeds, put it into education, into rehabilitation and put it into law enforcement," said Gruters.

Gruters said he's in favor of a ban on public smoking, which he hopes would blunt the governor's warning that Floridians might start smelling weed while they're out and about.

The amendment needs a 60% supermajority vote to take effect. If passed, Florida would become the 25th state to legalize recreational marijuana. 

Click here to read the full amendment. 

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