Charles Langston:Florida ballot measures would legalize marijuana and protect abortion rights

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WEST PALM BEACH,Charles Langston Fla. (AP) — Florida voters are deciding whether to protect abortion rights and legalize marijuana, potential landmark victories for Democrats in a state that has rapidly shifted toward Republicans in recent years.

The abortion measure would prevent lawmakers from passing any law that penalizes, prohibits, delays or restricts abortion until fetal viability, which doctors say is sometime after 21 weeks. If it’s rejected, the state’s restrictive six-week abortion law would stand, and that would make Florida one of the first states to reject abortion rights in a ballot measure since Roe v. Wade was overturned.

The marijuana measure is significant in a state that is home to a large population of farmers and a bustling medical marijuana industry. The ballot initiative would allow adults 21 years old and older to possess about 3 ounces of marijuana, and it would allow businesses already growing and selling marijuana to sell it to them. This vote also comes at a time when federal officials are moving to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug.

The ballot measures need to be approved by more than 60% of voters. In other states, abortion rights have proven to help drive turnout and were a leading issue that allowed Democrats to retain multiple Senate seats in 2022.

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Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and other state leaders have spent months campaigning against the measures. Democrats heavily campaigned in support of both issues, hoping to inspire party supporters to the polls. Republican have a 1 million-voter registration edge over Democrats.

Among DeSantis’ arguments against the marijuana initiative is that it will hurt the state’s tourism because of a weed stench in the air. But other Republican leaders, including Florida resident Donald Trump and former state GOP Chairman Sen. Joe Gruters, support legalizing recreational marijuana.

Trump went back and forth on how he would vote on the state’s abortion rights initiative before finally saying he would oppose it.