Getting in the weeds: DeSantis, Gruters don't see eye to eye on pot

Billionaire hedge fund operator Ken Griffin recently said he has given $12 million to an effort to defeat Amendment 3, which if approved in November by 60 percent of voters would allow recreational use of marijuana in Florida.

Griffin, an ally of DeSantis’ who is CEO of the firm Citadel, announced the contribution in an opinion piece in the Miami Herald, calling the proposed amendment “a terrible plan to create the nation’s most expansive and destructive marijuana laws.”

Meanwhile, state Sen. Joe Gruters, a former chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, lent his support to the proposal this week.

Gruters, who is running for state chief financial officer in 2026, was one of few lawmakers who backed former president Donald Trump when DeSantis unsuccessfully ran for president.

Gruters’ Wednesday endorsement of the marijuana initiative puts him directly at odds with the governor, who has harshly criticized the proposed amendment. It also came a day after the Florida Sheriffs Association and the Florida Police Chiefs Association voiced their opposition to the initiative.

“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, R-Sarasota, said in a press release issued by the Smart & Safe Florida political committee backing the initiative.