Florida Sen. Rick Scott says he will vote against recreational marijuana after brother’s death
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida says he will vote in November against a ballot amendment to legalize recreational marijuana in his state, a deeply personal decision based on his brother’s long history of addiction.
The senator and former governor of Florida said he watched his brother Roger Scott start smoking marijuana as a teenager and then struggle with substance abuse for the rest of his life.
“People end up with addictive personalities, and that’s what he did,” Scott said in an interview. “It ruins your life, and that’s why I’ve never supported drug legalization.”
When Roger Scott died in April at age 67, the cause was not substance abuse, but rather “a life of drugs and alcohol” that was catching up with him, the senator said. He had lived in an apartment in Dallas, Texas, where he served prison time in 1990 for misdemeanor possession of dangerous drugs, court records show.
Rick Scott became wealthy as a lawyer and healthcare industry executive before entering politics. Now a candidate for re-election, he lamented that his brother had a “hard life” and says it all started with marijuana.
Scott’s vote against marijuana coincides with other state and national Republicans who question whether marijuana leads to the use of other, riskier substances.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse included on a 2019 website that most cannabis users do not use “harder substances,” but a statement from the agency also said that the use of THC, the psychoactive compound in marijuana, can cause brain changes that could make a person more likely to develop addiction to other drugs.
Amie Goodin, who researches marijuana safety at the University of Florida, said studies have found that those who use riskier drugs often used marijuana before, but that research has not established whether marijuana “is actually the cause.” for someone to seek out more powerful substances.
Florida’s voter initiative would legalize recreational use of marijuana if the amendment receives 60% or more votes in favor this November. That would also force the Florida Legislature to establish regulations and a framework for production and sales. Florida is among 38 states that have legalized medical marijuana and would join 24 others that have legalized recreational use.
Scott opposes this change along with the Florida Republican Party, which formally announced its opposition in early May. They maintain that the amendment “would benefit powerful marijuana special interests, while putting children at risk and jeopardizing Florida’s family-friendly business and tourism climate.”
The amendment’s sponsor, Smart & Safe Florida said on its website that approval would allow Floridians to have “accountability, transparency and regulations” in place. Among other benefits, this could ensure that legal cannabis is not laced with unknown and potentially dangerous chemicals, she said.
Voters approved medical marijuana when Scott was governor, but Scott and the Legislature imposed strict restrictions on its use, including a ban on smokable marijuana. Cannabis advocates sued and a court agreed to allow smokable medical marijuana just before Scott left office. His successor, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, decided not to appeal.
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Brendan Farrington contributed to this report from Tallahassee, Florida.
Credit: abcnews.go.com
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