Joe Gruters, Trump ally & former state GOP chair, endorses Florida recreational marijuana

Conservative state Sen. Joe Gruters, a former state Republican Party chair, has endorsed the 2024 recreational marijuana ballot measure, despite the efforts of Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Republican Party of Florida to tank it.

The Sarasota lawmaker, who has served a combined eight years in the Florida House and Senate, said in a Wednesday press release that his support is "a common-sense decision that prioritizes individual freedom, health, safety and economic growth."

“By legalizing recreational marijuana for adults, we can give Floridians access to safe products, generate significant revenue for critical public services and create new job opportunities for Floridians," Gruters continued in the statement, sent by Smart & Safe Florida, the group heading the marijuana amendment campaign.

Amendment 3, if it gets at least 60% of the vote, would allow non-medical marijuana possession of up to 3 ounces, with no more than 5 grams in concentrated form, for those who are 21 years old and up.

Gruters' support represents a notable opposition to the governor, who has taken a hard stance against the measure, saying it will reduce quality of life and cause Florida to reek of weed.

"We've got to be united as Republicans to do what's right," DeSantis said recently, referring to Amendment 3 as well as Amendment 4, which would ensure abortion rights. "If Republicans are united on these, I don't think there's any way they could get to 60%."

DeSantis has launched Florida Freedom Fund, a group that in part is funding opposition to Amendment 3, and his chief of staff, James Uthmeier, is helping lead the anti-amendment campaign, Vote No on 3. A request for comment is pending with the governor's office.

Gruters vs. DeSantis

This isn't the first time Gruters has gone against a policy position of the governor.

While many Florida lawmakers endorsed DeSantis during his unsuccessful presidential bid, Gruters gave his support to former President Donald Trump.

Gruters also slammed DeSantis after he vetoed many Sarasota-area projects in the 2023-24 budget. He claimed the reason was his support of Trump, as previously reported by the Herald-Tribune. Trump has since endorsed Gruters in his 2026 run for state chief financial officer to succeed term-limited Republican Jimmy Patronis.

In a Wednesday afternoon interview with the USA TODAY Network-Florida, Gruters said he believes some Florida Republican lawmakers who support Amendment 3 are not speaking out due to concerns about opposing the state GOP establishment's position. But the senator said he doesn't think his endorsement will change his relationship with DeSantis and other opponents.

"I think this will pass," he said. "I think, at end of the day, we have a governor and a Legislature that's committed to doing the right thing and putting those guardrails in place, and I think we'll find the right solutions that will ultimately be a win for the governor."

He said his support for recreational marijuana has been an "evolving position."

"Anybody that I know that's wanted to partake in recreational marijuana use has never had a problem finding a product," Gruters said. "We have medical marijuana right now. How do we make adult recreational marijuana use safe?"

Gruters' endorsement of Amendment 3 also pits him against the Republican Party of Florida, which he used to chair.

CBS News reported that hemp executives had pledged the Republican Party of Florida $5 million to fight Amendment 3 following the governor's veto of a bill that would have greatly restricted the industry, which includes products that can make users high. Evan Power, the state GOP chair, and Bill Helmich, its executive director, are both hemp industry lobbyists.

Meanwhile, Smart & Safe Florida is largely funded by Trulieve, the state's largest medical marijuana operator.

This reporting content is supported by a partnership with Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners. USA Today Network-Florida First Amendment reporter Douglas Soule can be reached at DSoule@gannett.com.