A Republican Florida senator who supports legalizing marijuana has introduced a bill that would ban smoking on the streets.
State Sen. Joe Gruters announced the possibility of the bill during an online press conference Thursday, saying he wants to ban all types of smoking and vaping in public places to improve the environment and quality of life if Florida voters approve the measure, known as Amendment 3. Amendment 3 would also legalize marijuana for adults.
Smoking is already banned indoors in workplaces in Florida, but cities and counties have the power to restrict smoking on beaches and parks they own.
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Florida Republican Senator Joe Kruters (right) has introduced a bill to ban smoking in public areas. (Cliff Hawkins – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images, bottom left, The Indianapolis Star, top left, Sarasota Herald-Tribune via Imagn, main.)
“As a senator from Florida and someone who hates smoking anywhere, I think it infringes on the quiet enjoyment of public places, and I don’t want to see the street smoking that’s happened in Las Vegas and New York,” Gruters told NBC 2. “When I voted for Amendment 3, the main feedback I got was, obviously, nobody likes smoke, right? People don’t want to go outside and smell smoke. They don’t want to see smoke in public.”
Amendment 3, which Gruters supports, would allow anyone over the age of 21 to possess, purchase or use marijuana products for personal, non-medical purposes. Fox 13 reportsThe amendment would also allow medical marijuana treatment centers and other licensed entities to sell products for this use.
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Amendment 3 is set to appear on the Florida ballot soon and, if passed, would allow anyone over the age of 21 to possess, purchase, and use marijuana products for personal, non-medical purposes. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
If passed, Gruters’ proposed bill on all types of smoking would ban smoking in all public places, including streets, sidewalks and parks, starting July 1. State Sen. Daryl Rouson, a Democrat, is set to co-sponsor the bill.
Indoor and outdoor common areas such as schools, hospitals, government buildings, apartments, office buildings, lodging facilities, restaurants, transportation and retail stores would all be covered by the bill.
Gruters, a former Florida Republican Party chair who now serves as a Florida Republican National Committee member, said the bill is a starting point in the legislative process and part of a broader effort to establish guardrails to protect the public if Amendment 3 becomes law.
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The law also bans the use of e-cigarettes in public places. (iStock)
“This is easy to do. It’s within our authority. I think we can get ahead of this. That’s what this bill is about. It’s that simple,” Gruters told NBC Miami.
Gruters’ support of Amendment 3 puts him at odds with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who opposes it, saying similar measures have failed in other states.
“You go to a place like Denver and you smell marijuana,” DeSantis told Fox Baltimore in July. “It’s not good for your quality of life.”
