The last 10 years could be viewed as the marijuana decade in Florida, an outcome all the more likely if voters on Nov. 5 legalize weed for recreational use by adults.

The vote comes 10 years after voters nixed a 2014 medical marijuana event and eight years after voters went ahead and embraced prescription cannabis just two years later. The issue rises again at a time when dispensaries can be found nearby in any Florida community.

With a scent once prominent in college dorms now equally detectable in senior centers, most polling shows Amendment 3 headed toward passage. But the tale of the 2014 amendment’s failure should loom large for those feeling fatigued by campaigning 10 days out from the general election.

It was in the final weeks Florida’s original medical marijuana measure fell apart, thanks to an aggressive anti-pot campaign on TV and assisted by an embarrassing video of “Potdaddy” attorney John Morgan, of “For The People” fame, drunkenly appealing to 20-something voters that seemed to undercut the medical-only nature of the pot debate at the time. Two years later, the follow-up marijuana campaign had fewer mishaps and was helped by higher turnout in a presidential election year.

This go-around, the campaign also takes place as voters elect a new president. Morgan hasn’t been as prevalent a face of the pot movement. Actually, Sarasota state Sen. Joe Gruters, a former Republican Party of Florida chair, enjoys a greater presence in statewide ads supporting Amendment 3.

But the most outspoken voice may be on the other side. Gov. Ron DeSantis will spend coming days devoting his campaign energy almost exclusively toward stopping the pro-weed Amendment 3 and the pro-abortion rights Amendment 4.

The push against pot should be a reminder Amendment 3’s passage is no sure thing. Florida law requires 60% of voters to support amendments for them to pass. That’s a higher percentage of the vote than DeSantis received in 2022 when he won re-election over Democrat Charlie Crist by a once-unthinkable-in-Florida 19-point landslide.

Recreational weed needs to be more popular than any gubernatorial candidate has been in Florida since the late Democratic Gov. Bob Graham won re-election in 1982.

Of note, the Gruters-DeSantis difference of opinion on the issue has been central in the last weeks of the campaign. That’s mostly because of some intellectual dishonesty by the Governor that Gruters has effectively underlined.

DeSantis continues to insist the amendment does far more than it does, asserting its silence on licensing means regulatory gatekeeping on the medical weed market. But Florida’s system was crafted by the Florida Legislature, not the 2016 amendment legalizing medical weed. Lawmakers tomorrow could eliminate vertical integration and legalize homegrown pot in Florida for medical or personal use.

More dubious, DeSantis says the measure with stop the government from barring grass-smoking in public restaurants. That’s just not true. Implementing legislation already announced by Gruters and embraced by the pro-weed Smart & Safe Florida campaign does prohibit public smoking. In fact, Gruters hopes to use the opportunity to limit smoking of cigarettes in many settings that can be smoked today.

I’ve long thought the increasing percentage of adults who have smoked pot for fun some time in their life means recreational marijuana inevitably will come to pass. Whatever your opinion on the matter, make sure you know what Amendment 3 does — and does not do — before casting your ballot.

Jacob Ogles is contributing senior editor for SRQ MEDIA. 

Image courtesy Pixabay.

It’s nearly the end of October—one more month until the hurricane season officially ends on November 30. I think I can safely speak for our entire surrounding community when I say we certainly hope it ends NOW, with a quiet, final month.

I hope all those reading this column are safe and well. I know that so many of you, your families, and your homes were affected by not one, not even two, but possibly three life-changing storm events these past few months. My thoughts are with all of you as you continue to manage the aftermath and embark on the challenging path of rebuilding what was lost.

I am very grateful to share that Ringling College of Art and Design’s Main Campus on North Tamiami Trail, Sarasota Art Museum and its campus on South Tamiami Trail, and our Englewood Art Center down south all weathered the storms well. Miraculously, within days of Hurricane Milton’s eye passing directly over us, we reopened our campuses, brought our students back to resume classes, and continued our planned programming at the Museum, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, and Englewood Art Center. Our Ringling College Galleries and Exhibitions also opened back up to the public and are looking forward to hosting their next Art Walk on Nov. 22. 

In times such as these, I am always so proud of our creative community and its resilience. Like so many of you, these hurricanes disrupted not only our campuses but also the lives of our students, faculty and staff. Although we fared well and the outcome could have been much, much worse, we did sustain some infrastructure damage, some essential resources and technologies were compromised and many of our students are now facing financial hardships due to the mandatory campus closures. Ringling College is no stranger to hurricane evacuations, but back-to-back storms like Helene and Milton which required the entire campus to be evacuated and shut down, were unprecedented. 

To help support our creative community during this challenging time, the College has established a Hurricane Relief Fund. This fund aims to provide immediate assistance to students affected by the hurricanes including:

• Financial aid for students needing assistance with evacuation costs for off-campus accommodations, such as hotels, other lodging, meals, and transportation

• Emergency grants for loss of employment income for displaced students who hold campus jobs 

• Support for overall student wellness and mental health, which has been continuously made available to all students (as well as faculty and staff)

I invite you to consider making a donation to our Hurricane Relief Fund. Any amount you can contribute will be greatly appreciated. Your contribution will make a significant difference in helping our students continue their world-class art and design education. You can donate directly at this link: Ringling College Hurricane Relief Fund 

I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the tireless efforts of so many Ringling staff members who worked around the clock, both before and after the storm, to prepare, safeguard, and restore our campuses. We are so fortunate to have such talented and dedicated teams, including Facilities, Public Safety, Institutional Technology and Student and Residence Life. Their dedication, swift efforts and expertise allowed us to get back up and running. I am so grateful. 

As we look ahead, Ringling College is focused on returning to our normal routine while extending a hand to those still in need. Our hearts, thoughts, and prayers continue to go out to our neighbors and we look forward to doing all we can to help them heal and rebuild. Together, we will continue to move forward as a stronger community—one I am forever proud to be part of. 

Dr. Larry Thompson is president of Ringling College of Art & Design. 

Photo by Lucas McFarland courtesy Ringling College

The School Board Referendum renewal is on the last page of your ballot this year. This renewal, which is supported and funded by most of the business community and local foundations, is fundamental to our county’s future and our “A” rated school district. This historically widely supported referendum is important for retaining and recruiting our teachers, enhancing workforce training, upgrading our schools with technology and improving school safety and classroom security.

This will be the first time the referendum renewal is on the general election ballot. This important change means that more people will be voting on this referendum than ever before. This will position this referendum for its largest voter support in its history. Since 2002, this referendum has passed with incredible support- meaning that this tax is not new. This is a continuation of what we already have and it will help to continue our “A” district grade.

The Superintendent, who is in his first year holding that position in Sarasota County, has not taken anything for granted with his unprecedented transparency. On the School Board website, you can see where every dollar goes down to each school and each position, expected outcomes and Frequently Asked Questions. 

This $114 million of funding goes towards literacy coaches, competitive salary enhancements for teachers ensuring we have the best and brightest teaching our kids, school resource officers, career and technical educators, STEM instruction and technology support staff, among many other positions vital to supporting our kids’ education.

The importance of this referendum to the success of our district cannot be emphasized enough. But it is important to know how taxpayer money is being protected; the guardrails are also important. This funding is local, limited, and is accountable to the electorate in that it must be renewed by the voters every four years. Unlike other school funding, the funding from this referendum all stays here and is spent here. Finally, the spending of these dollars is overseen by an independent Citizens Tax Oversight Committee.

The Argus Foundation was instrumental in the studies and work that first led to the referendum passing in 2002. This led to our district being “A” rated and one of the top school districts in the state. We are proud to support our students and teachers again over 20 years later. The Argus Foundation urges you to vote “Yes” on the fourth page of your ballot on the referendum titled “Continues Funding for Teachers, Workforce Training, Student Achievement Through Renewal of Ad Valorem Millage Referendum.”

For more information go to: www.sarasotacountyschools.net/o/scs/page/scs-referendum-info and yesforsarasotacountyschools.com.

Christine Robinson is Executive Director of The Argus Foundation. 

Image courtesy Pixabay.