Florida’s largest medical marijuana company, Trulieve, has filed a defamation lawsuit against the state Republican Party and two television stations, accusing them of running an “intentionally deceptive campaign” to mislead voters about a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow the recreational use of marijuana.
The amendment, known as Amendment 3, is set to appear on the November 5 ballot and would allow Floridians to grow and possess marijuana for recreational use. Trulieve, which has spent nearly $93 million on the initiative, claims that the Republican Party and the television stations have been spreading false information about the amendment, including claims that it would eliminate competition and create a monopoly for licensed medical marijuana companies.
The lawsuit, filed in the 2nd Judicial Circuit, alleges that the Republican Party and the television stations have been running a “demonstrably false” ad that tries to fool Florida voters into voting against the amendment. The ad features a gardener who sees a news broadcast saying that the amendment could “legalize recreational marijuana” and then rushes to start planting, only to be confronted by a “Big Weed” character that says, “Actually, we wrote the amendment, so we’re the only ones that can grow it.”
Trulieve’s lawyers argue that the “Big Weed” character is reasonably understood by Florida voters to be Trulieve, because the company is the largest cannabis manufacturer in the state and because prominent Florida Republicans have publicly claimed that Trulieve authored Amendment 3.
The lawsuit also targets mailers sent out by the Republican Party of Florida, which claim that the marijuana proposal is a “power grab by mega marijuana corporations, eliminating their competition and enshrining their monopoly advantage in the Constitution forever.” Trulieve’s lawyers argue that this claim is false, as the proposal would actually increase competition by allowing the state to authorize additional licenses to grow and sell cannabis.
Trulieve is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, as well as an injunction to stop the Republican Party and the television stations from running the deceptive ad. The company has also sent letters to the TV stations demanding that they pull down the ad, but the stations have refused.
The lawsuit is the latest development in a contentious battle over Amendment 3, which has seen both sides engage in intense campaigning and advertising. The amendment has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump, while Governor Ron DeSantis and other Republican leaders have come out in opposition.
