Trulieve sues the Florida Republican Party 🍿

FLORIDA
Trulieve sues Florida Republicans over ‘monopoly’

What happened: Trulieve filed a defamation suit against the Florida Republican Party over what the Tallahassee-based cannabis company says is an “intentionally deceptive,” campaign to mislead voters about Amendment 3, the ballot measure to legalize cannabis in the Sunshine State, reports The Miami Herald.

Trulieve has spent over $90 million in support of legalization. But it has faced significant opposition from Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state’s Republican Party, despite the fact that legalization is widely popular in the state. 

Let’s play monopoly: At the heart of the lawsuit are claims that DeSantis and the anti-legalization campaign have made that passing Amendment 3 would hand Trulieve a cannabis retail monopoly.

You can see that talking point in speeches by DeSantis — as well as some the ‘No on 3’ backers in the state’s Republican Party and hemp industry — as well as in attack ads against Trulieve and legalization more broadly. 

Other anti-legalization groups, like Smart Approaches to Marijuana, have repeated that talking point, including in a public debate on the issue hosted by the Tampa Bay Young Republicans. 

But supporters of Amendment 3 say that the language in Amendment 3 doesn’t specifically eliminate competition or bar other companies from entering the industry. They say it’s up to the Florida Legislature to decide rules governing the retail cannabis market, if Amendment 3 is passed. 

And, according to Politifact, a nonpartisan fact-checker, the more precise term would be “oligopoly,” which is a market dominated by a few specific companies. A chart from MJBizDaily, an industry publication, shows that Trulieve itself accounts for a quarter of the state’s medical cannabis market. 

The ballot measure needs 60% support to become law — polls show it’s likely to pass with 64%, though that is a slim margin. 

What they’re saying: “Companies that stand to benefit from the outcome of a ballot measure can pour millions into ballot measure fights. Just because millions are being spent does not mean the ballot measure is rigged,” Stetson University law professor Ciara Torres-Spelliscy told Politifact.

On the other side: “The proponents of Amendment 3 are trying to take down these ads that they know are truthful and are working. That is why they are using lawfare to try to silence us, but we will not be deterred in our efforts. If this huge, powerful corporation can’t handle it, then they should go sit at the little kid’s table,” Florida State Republican Chairman Evan Power told The Miami Herald.

Why it matters: The fight over Amendment 3 has cleaved the Republican Party in two.

It’s become a proxy battle for the future of the party, as the traditionally conservative wing, of which DeSantis is perhaps the standard-bearer, is vociferously against legalization.

But Former President Donald Trump said last month that he’s planning to vote for Amendment 3, and would encourage Congress to pass cannabis reform including banking legislation if he’s elected. 

And more: Not all cannabis proponents support Amendment 3. 

Some grassroots activists oppose the measure over these oligopoly concerns, as well as what they see as Trulieve spending millions to pass regulation that would benefit the company’s bottom line without advancing criminal justice reform.

Check out this comic from Brian Box Brown for more on that. 

- JB

“By this time next year, I don’t think we’re going to be having much conversation about the war between marijuana and hemp because every marijuana company is also going to be a hemp company,” Adam Terry, the CEO of hemp-infused beverage company CanTrip, told Green Market Report.

Read the rest of the story. 

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Read the full report.

Smart & Safe Florida, the campaign to legalize cannabis in the state, has a new ad called “We’re All Saying The Same Thing.” The ad shows how both Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris — and their running mates — have a similar stance on cannabis and want reform.

Watch:

Harris wants to stand out as the pro-cannabis candidate. The industry isn’t convinced yet. | CNBC

Kamala Harris' plan for marijuana backed by young Republicans | Newsweek