By Skyler Swisher
Orlando Sentinel
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Two of the state’s largest and most influential law enforcement groups came out Tuesday against a ballot initiative that would legalize recreational marijuana in Florida.
The Florida Police Chiefs Association and the Florida Sheriffs Association issued statements opposing Amendment 3, citing concerns that legalizing the drug could increase car crashes, teenage substance abuse and pot-related emergency room visits.
“There is no doubt based on the experiences of other states, that recreational marijuana will in fact have a negative public safety impact in Florida,” said Charles Vazquez, president of the Florida Police Chiefs Association and head of the Tampa International Airport Police Department. “Our business is keeping people and communities safe, so we stand in strong opposition to this amendment and to those organizations that think it is ‘no big deal’.”
Together, the associations represent over 1,300 law enforcement leaders.
If approved by at least 60% of voters in November, Amendment 3 would allow Floridians 21 years and older to possess up to 3 ounces of marijuana for personal use.
Recent polls show the proposal is popular, with a University of North Florida survey showing 64% of likely voters in support. Twenty-four other states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for recreational use. Florida has legalized marijuana for medical use.
Legalization advocates disagree that Amendment 3 would jeopardize public safety, citing media reports that police are finding black-market marijuana laced with the dangerous drug fentanyl. They think legalized marijuana would reduce that risk by cutting out street dealers.
“Passing Amendment 3 will make Floridians safer, reduce teen usage, save lives, and free up law enforcement to focus on serious, violent crime,” said Morgan Hill, a spokeswoman for Safe & Smart Florida, the group backing the marijuana initiative.
But in a statement, the Florida Sheriffs Association wrote that Amendment 3 would lead to “a lower quality of life for all.” Sheriffs adopted a resolution opposing recreational marijuana at their summer conference in Orlando.
Speaking at the conference, Gov. Ron DeSantis reiterated his opposition to Amendment 3, warning it would not be good for “law and order.” He said legalization elsewhere has not shut down the black market, referencing reports that underground and unregulated sales are still a problem in states that have fully legalized marijuana.
Orange County Sheriff John Mina said he thinks Floridians should consider the dangers of impaired driving, adding he would like to see more research on marijuana and mental health in young people.
“Personally, I am opposed to the legalization of recreational marijuana, but I acknowledge that’s the direction more states are moving in, and I respect the will of the voters,” he said in a statement.
As sheriff, Mina said his law enforcement priority has been getting fentanyl and heroin off the streets and “the high-level dealers who peddle this poison.”
Researchers have delivered mixed findings on the effect of legal pot on traffic deaths and adolescent use.
Fatal car wrecks increased in four of the seven states with legal recreational markets examined by the University of Illinois Chicago , rising on average by 10%, according to a 2023 study That same study, which analyzed death certificates, found a decrease in opioid-related deaths and no effect on the suicide rate.
An April study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found fewer adolescents reported using marijuana in the previous month in states that legalized marijuana. At the same time, adolescents who used the drug used it more often, according to the study, which examined self-reported data from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey.
Overall, legalization was not associated with a net increase in marijuana use in young people, the study concluded.
Supporters and opponents also disagree on the fiscal implications of Amendment 3. Recreational marijuana is expected to generate at least $195 million annually in tax revenues, according to the initiative’s fiscal impact statement.
But law enforcement officials argue those additional revenues will be wiped away by higher public safety and health care costs and lost productivity.
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