DeSantis Stirs Pot Again With More Anti-Marijuana Ads Funded By Taxpayers, Including One Linking Cannabis To Domestic Violence

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) is under new scrutiny for allegedly using state agencies and taxpayer-funded advertisements to bolster his campaign against a marijuana legalization initiative that voters will decide upon in the upcoming ballot.

In a Department of Transportation (DOT) advertisement, three sheriffs make various assertions about the dangers of cannabis, including one who claims that marijuana use is linked to a higher risk of domestic violence, which contradicts existing research on the matter.

"When we respond to domestic violence calls, they often involve marijuana use," stated Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.

Duval County Sheriff T.K. Waters noted in the PSA, initially reported by Seeking Rents, that there are "too many children being taken to the ER due to weed gummies and joints tainted with fentanyl."

In one of the few statements from the sheriffs that appears directly relevant to DOT, Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey stated, "We see an increase in traffic accidents and fatalities due to driving under the influence of marijuana."

This connects to another department ad from last month, which claimed that "DUI crashes rise in states where marijuana is legal, endangering everyone." A Florida Democratic senator has since filed a lawsuit against the state over this PSA, arguing that it improperly uses tax dollars for political purposes.

Research on the link between state marijuana laws and impaired driving rates has shown mixed results, and even federal reports have indicated that the impact of cannabis use on driving remains unclear.

A new advertisement, jointly sponsored by the Departments of Health, Education, and Children & Families, is aimed at parents and warns of the dangers of cannabis use for children, stating it "can cause significant harm to the still-developing brains of young people."

"Protect your teen’s future and mental health: Ensure they understand the risks of marijuana," says the ad backed by the state education department.

None of the PSAs directly mention the cannabis legalization vote, but advocates argue that the timing, along with DeSantis's personal opposition to Amendment 3, clearly indicates efforts to sway voters before Election Day.