In Florida and other states, citizens are being given the opportunity to exercise a more direct form of our authority by voting on constitutional amendments. Amendment 3, in Florida, is asking us to directly enshrine in our constitution the legalization of marijuana use for any purpose.
Reasons to Vote "No" on Florida's Recreational Marijuana Amendment
Reason 1: Using recreational marijuana (RM) is a vice in that its purpose is to intoxicate and cause people to lack sober-mindedness.
1. Using RM makes a person high. The goal of a person smoking marijuana is to become intoxicated. What causes marijuana's "high" effect on the person is the psychoactive compound THC. This is notably different than alcohol, which can be enjoyed in moderation without becoming intoxicated.
2. When a person is intoxicated, they are not able to think clearly or make thoughtful/reasonable decisions. Thus, Christians must avoid encouraging others to use RM (for we are commanded to be sober-minded).1
3. So, legalizing RM brings a vice (of not being clear-minded) into the category of "this is good or neutral." Thus, legalizing RM removes the stigma of using a drug that which will negatively affect those using RM and society at large.
Reason 2: It will lead to an increase in crimes and traffic accidents (which will affect not just those using RM but all our communities).
1. We can see this in the data coming out of states that have legalized RM in the past. For example, see this fact sheet on how RM legalization affected Colorado.
Reason 3: It will lead more young people to use marijuana, which is linked to higher rates of mental illness.2
1. The connection between marijuana use and mental illnesses such as schizophrenia in younger people (15-25 year olds) is becoming clear.4
2. Legalizing RM leads to an increase in use among children (even if it is only "allowed" for adults).3 Colorado, which legalized RM several years ago has seen a large increase in the number of minors being hospitalized for marijuana related issues.5
Reason 4: Amendment 3 was written by and is being funded by a large marijuana distributor to promote their own interests.6
1. It was written by Trulieve, and they have funded the initiative to the tune of close to 100 million dollars. It is obvious they think they will gain a lot from this.
2. It is written in a way that shields them from ALL possible lawsuits. So, if someone dies from wrongly processed cannabis, no criminal or civil charges can be filed against the company. (see section a.5 in the amendment text).
4. It will not provide more money to our State because the State will have to spend more money dealing with the fallout of increased drug use and all the attending problems (crime, accidents, youth mental health, domestic violence, etc.).
Reason 5: The amendment wording makes it so that no law can be written to keep people from using RM where they want when they want.
1. See the amendment wording section a.4.
2. So, the next time we go to the beach, we might have some people set up next to our family smoking weed.
Reason 6: This is not needed for people with medical needs.
1. The benefits that can be gained from THC (the active ingredient in maijuana) for people needing an increase in appetite or struggling with extreme nausea from chemotherapy are found in prescription medicines (in pill forms prescribed by a doctor and dispensed by a pharmicist).7
2. There is no evidence that smoking or ingesting marijuana treats other medical ailments. In fact here is a list of medical associations that have written papers on why they do not support the use of medical marijuana: American Medical Association, The American Academy of Psychiatry, The American Society of Addiction Medicine, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.8
Additional Resources on the Topic
A Short Book by Todd Miles called Cannabis and the Christian: What the Bible Says about Marijuana.
A Talk by Governor Ron DeSantis on the impacts of Amendment 3: https://x.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/1849457158590767451 (from about the 1:30 - 18:45 minute mark).
A Podcast Episode from America in View (with our very own Matt Doster as Co-host): https://americainview.com/episode-10-18-24.html
A website opposing Amendment 3: https://no-on3.com/
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Footnotes:
1. For a thoughtful and well-researched approach to how we should think about medical marijuana, see Todd Miles's book Cannabis and the Christian, chapters 6-7.
2. Regarding increased use of marijuana among kids (and its dangers) in states with legal RM see this: https://learnaboutsam.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/2024-Youth-Use-one-pager.pdf
3. Regarding dangers to children, see this story: https://www.wptv.com/news/state/marijuana/would-recreational-marijuana-in-florida-lead-to-increased-exposure-among-children
4. https://www.cdc.gov/cannabis/health-effects/cannabis-and-teens.html and https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/publications/drugs-health-products/is-cannabis-safe-use-facts-young-adults.html
5. To see some of the outcomes of Colorado's RM laws, see this: https://learnaboutsam.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Colorado-One-Pager-39pdf.pdf
6. Listen to Governor Ron DeSantis explain this here: https://x.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/1849457158590767451 (from about the 1:30 - 18:45 minute mark).
7. Miles, Cannabis and the Christian, 120-21
8. See Miles, Cannabis and the Christian, pg. 120-25 for more discussion on why marijuana does not treat other medical ailments, as well as the list of medical associations that have produced papers outlining why they do not support the use of medical marijuana.
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