In the early 1990s, President Bill Clinton signed a patent application for cannabinoids as neuroprotectants and antioxidants on behalf of the United States Government, while that same government was working with and profiting from pharmaceutical companies, funding cannabis research overseas, and denying Americans access to it while maintaining it was “the most dangerous type of drug with no known medicinal benefits.”
Floridians believe in freedom, small government, unbiased science, and facts over fears. We do not sacrifice our freedoms for a faux sense of safety and we are staunchly opposed to federal government overreach, collusion and corruption. 

Floridians Have Spoken 

• Floridians believe in freedom. “Freedom works in Florida.” -Governor Ron DeSantis

• Floridians believe in personal freedoms, including the freedom of privacy in our own homes. In Florida, we do not elect politicians to protect us from ourselves, to run our homes or to raise our children. “Florida is a free state, and we intend to keep it that way.” -Governor Ron DeSantis

• Floridians believe in medical freedom. “We must safeguard the free speech of our health care providers because it is through open dialogue and debate that science advances and patients receive the best care.” -Governor Ron DeSantis

• Floridians believe in small government. “These big government mandates strip away people’s rights to make the best decision for themselves, but we are going to protect Floridians from federal and local government overreach… because Floridians, not any governmental entity, are responsible for taking charge of their personal health.” -Governor Ron DeSantis. 

• Floridians believe that politicising science leads to bad medicine.  “Dwight Eisenhower also warned about the increasing prevalence of scientific research intermingling with government money and he talked about there was a danger that public policy could be held captive by a scientific elite, he said the job of a statesman is not to allow policy to be held captive by one faction of society, but to harmonise all the competing interests and to make sure that you’re leading on behalf of the entire country, or, in my case, entire state. And that’s what we’ve done and we did what was right, we looked at the data ourselves, and Florida is better for it.” -Governor Ron Desantis.

• Floridians believe in unbiased science. “We’re going to be very explicit about the differences between the science and our opinions,” Dr. Joseph Ladapo (FL Surgeon General appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis).

• Floridians believe the data, which shows that cannabis is a safe and effective medicine. “No more noble lies. You tell the truth on what the data’s saying,” -Governor Ron DeSantis.

• Floridians believe in facts over fears. “Florida will completely reject fear as a way of making policies in public health. So we're done with fear. That's been something that's been, unfortunately, a center piece of health policy in the United States… and it's over here. Expiration date. It's done." -Dr. Joseph Ladapo (FL Surgeon General appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis) 
   

Support for Broader Legislation is Increasing

• Marijuana is more popular than any single politician in Florida, and Republican voters have spoken. 58% of polled Florida voters, the majority of whom voted for Donald Trump, want expanded access to medical marijuana and are explicitly opposed to further restrictions.

• In fact, the Republican Party is doubling down on the fight for freedom. “We cannot go back to the failed Republican establishment of yesteryear. We cannot elect GOP office holders who are scared of the corporate press and who seek its approval. We need leaders who will energetically wield power in defence of our values and our freedoms.” -Governor Ron DeSantis

• Florida voters want to save money and reduce government corruption. In 2022, 74% of Florida voters said that they're going to vote based on pocketbook issues and the second-most important voting issue for Floridians was government corruption. Forcing Floridians to fund and rely on corporations in a tightly closed market has caused increasing distrust and resentment.

• Support for Florida’s medical marijuana program has increased since it’s inception. 71% voters voted on behalf of medical marijuana in 2016, while 76% of voters in Florida favoured the legal use of marijuana for medical purposes in 2021. 

• Florida is no longer leading with fear. “…approaching health policy with fear leads to bad decisions.” -Dr. Joseph Ladapo (FL Surgeon General appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis). 
  Criminal Justice & Legal Issues

• Marijuana arrests now account for over half of all drug arrests in the United States. Of the 8.2 million marijuana arrests between 2001 and 2010, 88% were for simple possession of marijuana, costing taxpayers untold billions of dollars every year in detaining these individuals as well as clogging the court system with proceedings for these relatively minor infractions.

• Broader legal access leads to a decreased rate in gangs committing violent crimes. Violent crimes in states where marijuana was legalised have dropped 12.5%.

• There is no evidence that legalising cannabis at the state level has boosted underage consumption. In fact, an American Medical Association study published in 2021 states that “medical marijuana law (MML) adoption was associated with a 6% decrease in the odds of current marijuana use and a 7% decrease in the odds of frequent marijuana use.”

• The continued underground market sale of marijuana perpetuates a culture of criminality. Cannabis is simply too profitable to be illicit. Rather than bringing funds in to the State for reallocation to programs like public education and law enforcement, cannabis sales are currently funding the growth of violent criminal organisations who use and arm children to smuggle and sell products, organise child trafficking rings, and commit horrendous global injustices.

• No-knock raids, most of which are conducted for drugs and many for cannabis, are exceedingly dangerous for both law enforcement and civilians- killing multiple people every year. From botched raids to the horrific death of young children and elderly grandparents, no-knocks raids have proven ineffective and deadly. 
  Safety & Responsibility

• Underground market cannabis is a large unknown – consumers cannot be sure what is in their cannabis. Due to expense and inaccessibility, most cannabis consumers in the State of Florida are not yet shopping on the legal market. Home cultivation is much more affordable and accessible, decreasing demand for the underground market. 

• Botanical medicine is highly individualised and large corporations do not profit from dialling in medicine specific to each individual patient’s needs. Unfortunately, many patients in Florida (children included) are simply unable to find the medicine that works best for them. Even on the legal market, and even when they’re able to afford the legal program. Being able to duplicate an exact terpene, cannabinoid, and plant profile produced with specific seeds under specific cultivation conditions gives patients access to the personalised medicine that works best for them.

• If home cultivation of cannabis is legalised, Florida patients will have accountability, transparency, and regulations in place to ensure products do not contain potentially deadly chemicals while remaining accessible and affordable. 

• Per the DEA, “any drugs not purchased or obtained from a licensed and accredited medical facility are illegal, dangerous, and potentially lethal.” Home cultivation gives consumers more control over the safety and efficacy of their medicine. 

• Unregulated and untested cannabis can be laced with any number of harmful materials, including but not limited to heavy metals; glass; fungus and/or mould; PCP, heroin, fentanyl, or other illegal substances; embalming fluid; laundry detergent; and more. 

• Furthermore, many patients are immunosuppressed and/ or highly sensitive to chemicals, contaminants, and pesticides free. Even on the legal market, many patients are wary of pesticides and mould. From the seeds to the soil to the plant food and everything in between, home cultivation empowers patients with an unmatched level of control, safety and comfort in knowing exactly what they’re putting in their bodies.