The ad saying that smoking marijuana will be allowed in public places is misleading

TAMPA, Fla. — With just five days until the election in Florida, the races are heating up.

One of the hottest contests is the fight over Amendment 3, which would allow recreational use of marijuana.

If you turn on your TV or radio or visit a social media site, you’re sure to find at least one ad that will either try to influence your vote.
   
But are the ads misleading?

Team I investigator Adam Walser is investigating the case claims made in anti-amendment 3 advertising this means that if the amendment is passed, indoor and outdoor spaces will soon smell of pot.

Restaurants

“Dude, what’s the problem with Amendment 3?” – says the man in the ad.

The setting is a Florida restaurant.

“It’s not just about smoking a little weed at home, it’s about smoking anywhere. Anywhere in public. Even in restaurants, replies the man sitting next to him.

“No one wants that,” says the actress playing the waitress.

Real waitress Jessica Martin has been serving customers at Mom’s Place for twenty years.

He says he remembers the bad old days when people smoked at the table.

“We still have some of the signs. It was disgusting. One side was smoking, the other was not. There’s no wall in sight here,” Martin said.

But no one has smoked at Mom’s Place since 2003, after 71 percent of Florida voters approved a constitutional amendment banning smoking in all closed, closed workplaces, including restaurants.

“We wouldn’t let people smoke cigarettes here. We don’t allow people to vape here,” Martin said.

He says if anyone tries to smoke in the restaurant, they are asked to leave.

“If you want to smoke weed, you can do it outside,” Martin said.

Bars

“Smoking at home is one thing, but not in our bar,” says another actor in the ad, sitting on a bar stool.

The same state law that prohibits smoking in restaurants also prohibits smoking in bars.

Hotels

“Can you imagine what our hotels would smell like? It would be terrible,” says the woman as she walks through the hotel lobby.

Most hotel rooms in Florida are non-smoking.

People who smoke in them face cleaning fees of $250 or more, and hotel managers tell us that many of those fines already go to marijuana smokers.

Sports stadiums

“Grass in public space. Think about it. 70,000 people in the stadium,” says an actor standing in front of the stadium.

But that won’t be the case Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, where smoking is prohibited.

Theme parks

“What about our theme parks?” – asks the same actor in the ad.

Both Walt Disney World and Busch Gardens have designated smoking areas, but both prohibit marijuana.

This is despite the fact that nearly one million Floridians already have medical marijuana cards.

Parks and beaches

“What about our playgrounds? Can you imagine bringing your family here like I bring my family to a park where there are innocent children and people smoking marijuana everywhere?” – says Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis, standing in front of a playground.

Amanda Rabelo, who was visiting Al Lang Park in Tampa on Tuesday, shared her concerns.

Rabelo doesn’t want people smoking marijuana around her daughter.

“I feel like everything will just go out the window and everyone will do whatever, whenever,” she said.

But Eva Chadwick, who moved from Washington, where recreational marijuana is legal, says most people there don’t smoke pot in public.

“I smoke cigarettes. I don’t take it out in the park. I have respect for other people,” Chadwick said.

In 2022, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 105, which allowed cities and counties to restrict smoking and restrict parks and beaches. And many did so immediately.

The city of Tampa is currently considering banning smoking in parks, which means those violating the ban could face fines.

“A Florida man is a Florida man.”

While Chadwick believes the ad’s claims may be exaggerated, she admits she occasionally smelled weed in Tampa well before Election Day.

“A Florida man is a Florida man. People will do what they will do,” she said.

Send your story idea and tips to Adam Walser