Former President Donald Trump announced his support for recreational marijuana legalization in Florida, pledging to prioritize federal marijuana policy reforms, including reclassifying it as a Schedule 3 drug.

Former President Donald Trump confirmed his support for recreational marijuana legalization in Florida on Sunday, also pledging to prioritize federal marijuana policy reforms in a potential second term, including reclassifying marijuana as a Schedule 3 drug and working with Congress on related legislation.

Alongside his endorsement of Florida’s amendment, Trump reiterated his commitment to advancing marijuana policy at the federal level. He pledged to focus on research into the medical benefits of marijuana, aiming to reclassify it as a Schedule 3 drug, while also collaborating with Congress to establish broader marijuana laws. Trump cited Florida as a state where such policies could be particularly beneficial to its citizens.

“As President, we will continue to focus on research to identify the medical benefits of marijuana and reclassify it as a Schedule 3 drug. We’ll work with Congress to pass common-sense laws, including safe banking for state-authorized companies, and support states’ rights to pass marijuana laws—like in Florida—that work so well for their citizens,” the former president said.

Trump’s support comes less than two weeks after he took to his Truth Social platform, where he predicted that marijuana legalization in Florida “is inevitable,” adding that “whether people like it or not,” personal use will be legalized. He also expressed support for decriminalization, arguing that criminalization wastes taxpayer money and unfairly punishes individuals caught with small amounts of marijuana.

Last month, Sen. Joe Gruters formally endorsed Amendment 3, becoming one of the lone state Republicans to back the initiative. Gruters subsequently introduced legislation that would ban smoking in public spaces statewide, contingent on voter approval of the recreational marijuana initiative in November.

The bill, which serves as a companion to the recreational marijuana amendment, aims to regulate where and how smoking occurs, with the goal of “ensuring public health and safety,” according to Gruters. At a press event, he pointed to cities like Las Vegas and New York City as examples of places struggling with public smoking issues, which he hopes Florida can avoid.

“I think we can make it safer. I think it’s time to decriminalize, and I think we can control the time, place, and manner,” Gruters said. “People don’t want to go outside and smell it. They don’t want to see it in public places.”

The proposed ban would apply to all public spaces, including streets, sidewalks, parks, beaches, and shared areas of buildings. It would cover smoking tobacco, cigars, vaping, and marijuana products. Gruters emphasized that the legislation would allow the state to control when and where smoking is permitted.

The ballot initiative, led by the group Smart & Safe Florida, has received significant financial backing from cannabis retailer Trulieve, which has contributed more than $75 million to the effort. If passed, state economists estimate the measure could generate between $195.6 million and $431.3 million annually in sales tax revenue, with an additional $43.6 million projected from new tourists drawn to the state by legalized marijuana.

In May, the Republican Party of Florida formally opposed the legalization of recreational marijuana during its Executive Board meeting. Gov. Ron DeSantis also voiced opposition, warning that the amendment goes beyond merely legalizing recreational marijuana. He argued that it would eliminate all penalties—civil and criminal—for marijuana possession and use, which he believes would lead to negative consequences for the state.

“If you actually read the text of what will go in the Constitution, it says you can have no penalties for possession or use, civil, criminal, anything for marijuana,” the governor said. “Now the problem with that is the entire state will smell like marijuana if that passes. Colorado did this. It totally failed. California did it. It totally failed. Everywhere that’s done this has been a complete and utter failure.”

A poll released last month found that 64 percent of likely voters favor Amendment 3, while 27 percent oppose it and 12 percent remain undecided. Support is particularly strong among Democrats, with 74 percent in favor, compared to 54 percent of Republicans and 61 percent of Independents. The measure requires 60 percent voter support to pass.