Florida ballot measures would legalize marijuana and protect abortion rights

Florida voters are deciding whether to protect abortion authorities and legalize marijuana

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Florida voters are deciding whether to protect abortion authorities and legalize marijuana, imaginable landmark victories for Democrats successful a authorities that has quickly shifted toward Republicans successful caller years.

The abortion measurement would forestall lawmakers from passing immoderate rule that penalizes, prohibits, delays aliases restricts abortion until fetal viability, which doctors opportunity is sometime aft 21 weeks. If it's rejected, nan state's restrictive six-week abortion law would stand, and that would make Florida 1 of nan first states to cull abortion authorities successful a ballot measurement since Roe v. Wade was overturned.

The marijuana measure is important successful a authorities that is location to a ample organization of farmers and a bustling aesculapian marijuana industry. The ballot inaugural would let adults 21 years aged and older to person astir 3 ounces of marijuana, and it would let businesses already increasing and trading marijuana to waste it to them. This ballot besides comes astatine a clip erstwhile national officials are moving to reclassify marijuana arsenic a little vulnerable drug.

The ballot measures request to beryllium approved by much than 60% of voters. In different states, abortion authorities person proven to thief thrust turnout and were a starring rumor that allowed Democrats to clasp aggregate Senate seats successful 2022.

Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and different authorities leaders person spent months campaigning against nan measures. Democrats heavy campaigned successful support of some issues, hoping to animate statement supporters to nan polls. Republican person a 1 million-voter registration separator complete Democrats.

Among DeSantis' arguments against nan marijuana inaugural is that it will wounded nan state’s tourism because of a weed stench successful nan air. But different Republican leaders, including Florida resident Donald Trump and erstwhile authorities GOP Chairman Sen. Joe Gruters, support legalizing recreational marijuana.

Trump went backmost and distant connected really he would ballot connected nan state’s abortion authorities inaugural earlier yet saying he would reason it.