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Florida
Florida reportedly using millions in opioid settlement money on anti-marijuana campaign targeting Amendment 3
Florida state records have revealed that the state has reportedly channeled millions of dollars from a settlement with opioid manufacturers and distributors into a campaign targeting the proposed Amendment 3, which would legalize recreational marijuana for adults over 21.
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The Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) recently allocated nearly $4 million from the Florida opioid settlement trust fund to Strategic Digital Services, a Tallahassee-based marketing agency, for an educational campaign on the “dangers of marijuana, opioid, and drug use,” specifically directed at Floridian families and youth. You can view the purchase order information HERE.
Two ads were recently released as part of this effort to highlight the potential mental health risks of marijuana use in teens, including links to schizophrenia. One advertisement claims that modern marijuana is “engineered by corporations all for one purpose: to rewire the human mind.”
Below is one of the ads:
Research shows that marijuana can do real damage to the developing brains of young people — leading to higher risks of psychotic disorders, suicides, and learning loss. Protect your children from the risks of extensive marijuana use. pic.twitter.com/jc7gZM0ja8
— Florida Department of Children and Families (@MyFLFamilies) October 21, 2024
Although the ads do not mention the amendment by name, supporters of Amendment 3 argue they represent a deliberate effort by the administration to sway voters ahead of the November election.
READ: Former President Trump announces he will vote yes on Florida’s Amendment 3 on marijuana legalization
Funding Scrutiny from Amendment 3 Supporters:
The use of opioid settlement funds, intended to mitigate the opioid epidemic, is raising questions among Amendment 3 supporters who argue the campaign is cannibalizing public money for political ads.
The $4 million contract with Strategic Digital Services will be funded by Florida’s opioid settlement trust, established as part of a multi-billion dollar agreement to hold pharmaceutical companies accountable for their role in the opioid crisis.
Over the next 20 years, Florida is slated to receive $3 billion from a nationwide opioid settlement, with funds directed toward combating the opioid epidemic. State law mandates the trust fund’s use in combating the opioid crisis, though it also includes provisions for broader substance use disorders.
The ads’ focus on a marijuana-focused campaign —rather than opioids—has raised questions about the DeSantis administration’s allocation choices in the run-up to the election.
Sen. Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota, joined a bipartisan group of Amendment 3 advocates at a press event Friday, where he criticized the administration for using funds to allegedly advance a political agenda. “Tax dollars should not go to fund propaganda, bottom line,” Gruters said.
The DCF has yet to clarify if both recent ads fall under the $4 million contract with Strategic Digital Services, though they appeared after the contract was enacted, suggesting that opioid settlement money may be funding the campaign.
Anti-Amendment Campaigns:
In recent weeks, Governor DeSantis has intensified his anti-amendment campaigns, utilizing state resources against ballot measures like Amendment 3 and Amendment 4, the proposed amendment aimed at enshrining abortion rights in Floria’s constitution.
READ: DeSantis escalates legal fight against Amendment 4 abortion ads, leveraging state resources in opposition
In numerous press conferences held across the state, the DeSantis administration warned of what he calls the “dangers” of legal marijuana, stating that he considers Amendment 3 as “more liberal” than laws in Colorado and California. At one press event, he invited a mother who lost her son to opioids to share how his struggle began with marijuana, which the administration described as a gateway to harder drugs.
Below is the referenced press event: (Note: The mother appears at the press conference starting at timestamp 37:30.)
Meanwhile, Florida’s First Lady Casey DeSantis and Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo have joined the anti-amendment efforts.
The First Lady has attended several events supported by law enforcement, where she has publicly opposed the amendment.
“This is not about freedom. This is about corporate greed,” First Lady Casey DeSantis said.
Meanwhile, Dr. Ladapo, previously criticized by federal agencies for spreading misinformation on COVID-19 vaccines, recently discussed the potential health risks of marijuana in a televised interview.
Upcoming Vote:
With early voting underway and a recent UNF poll showing 67% of people support Amendment 3, this election could represent a significant policy shift in Florida. While the DeSantis administration contends the measure risks public health, Amendment 3 advocates argue it would bring much-needed tax revenue to the state and regulate marijuana safely.
The final decision now rests with voters, who will cast their ballots on November 5. In Florida, each amendment requires a supermajority of 60% to pass, making your vote all the more critical in deciding the direction the state will go.
READ: What’s on Florida’s 2024 ballot?: A complete guide to the six proposed state amendments
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Florida
South Florida officers sue Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, claiming details in ‘The Rip’ are too real
Entertainment
“The Rip” features Affleck and Damon as South Florida police officers who find millions of dollars inside a house. Parts of the movie were inspired by a real 2016 case.
MIAMI (AP) — Two South Florida police officers claim Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s recent action thriller “The Rip” used too many real-life details in its fictionalized narrative, causing harm to the officers’ personal and professional reputations, according to a defamation lawsuit.
Jason Smith and Jonathan Santana, sergeants in the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, filed the lawsuit in Miami federal court earlier this month against Artists Equity, a film production company owned by Affleck and Damon. Court filings don’t say how much the officers are suing for, but the civil complaint says they’re seeking compensatory damages, punitive damages and attorney fees, as well as a public retraction and correction.
“The Rip” features Affleck and Damon as South Florida police officers who find millions of dollars inside a house. Parts of the movie were inspired by a real 2016 case, where police found over $21 million linked to a suspected marijuana trafficker in a Miami Lakes home.
An attorney for Artists Equity declined to comment when reached Monday by The Associated Press. But in a March 19 response to the plaintiffs’ demand letter, Leita Walker, an attorney for Artists Equity, wrote that the film does not purport to tell the true story of that incident or portray real people, which had been stated by a disclaimer in the film’s credits.
Although Smith and Santana aren’t named in the film, the lawsuit claims that Santana was serving as the lead detective assigned to the real case, and Smith was the sergeant who supervised the investigative team. The film’s inclusion of real details about the case gives the impression that the characters are based on the plaintiffs, the suit said.
And this, the lawsuit claims, has given friends, family members and colleagues the impression that the plaintiffs committed the criminal acts that appear in the film, which include (SPOILER ALERT) conspiring to steal seized drug money, murdering a supervising officer, communicating with cartel members, committing arson in a residential neighborhood, endangering the lives of civilians, repeatedly violating core law-enforcement protocols and executing a federal agent rather than making an arrest.
Walker wrote in March that the plaintiffs haven’t even identified which particular character is supposed to be based on Smith or Santana, so even if “The Rip” was actually about a real-life narcotics team, there’s no way to connect any of the characters to the plaintiffs.
“The Rip,” directed by Joe Carnahan, debuted in January on Netflix. It’s currently rated 78% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
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Brevard County couple gets married in NICU after birth of premature twins
A Florida couple, told they may not be able to have children, welcomed premature twins and had an impromptu NICU wedding.
Provided by AdventHealth for Children
Ben and Danielle Cassidy were told they likely wouldn’t be able to have children.
But this year they will celebrate Mother’s Day just months after having an impromptu wedding in the AdventHealth for Children hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit shortly after Danielle gave birth to twins prematurely — a week before the Palm Bay couple was scheduled to get married.
Both babies, Joshua and Rhett, are doing well despite arriving nine weeks ahead of schedule on Jan. 19, 2026, just one day after their scheduled baby shower. With a proper wedding out of the question with two premature babies in the NICU, a nurse took action.
Issabel Kenkel, the nurse behind the ceremony, said she was already in wedding planning mode for her own upcoming nuptials when she found out the Cassidy family’s ceremony would be interrupted.
“I couldn’t just let them do something small. They needed decorations and something fun, so I spoke to the music therapist and the chaplain,” Kenkel said. In short order, a wedding was being planned for their hospital room and the couple was saying their vows in the company of their safely delivered newborns.
“When we found out we could request staff members to be on our team, that’s when we requested Issabel and having that kind of consistency from someone who has such a big heart and is so kind,” Danielle said.
The hospital ceremony was all the more special because of the Cassidy family’s own health struggles.
“I have five autoimmune diseases and didn’t really think I would have kids. It’s been a rough journey. When Ben and I met, we were floored at how much a miracle it was to have kids,” Danielle said.
Ben, who battled and beat cancer, said he was worried that his prior treatment would result in negative health outcomes for his future children. Having twins for him was an unexpected blessing.
“When we found out we were pregnant, we found it so shocking. We said, wouldn’t it be great if it was twins? It filled out our hopes and dreams list,” Ben said. “They’ve been miracles for sure.”
The Cassidy couple said there was so much fear and uncertainty when their twins were born nine weeks early. Being able to get married right away just made them feel all the better about the future.
“It was nice getting married because we didn’t have to wait any longer to make it official. It made it that much harder for her to get rid of me,” Ben said.
“The unknown made it scary,” Danielle added. “We had no idea how long we would be in the hospital. Our wedding was going to be at the beach with immediate family and parents. Having NICU babies, we realized we’d never be able to get to the beach. It was really special having the people who care for our babies be part of the ceremony.”
The couple hadn’t even planned to have a band at their wedding ceremony and now the hospital’s music therapist was performing live for them and the chaplain was conducting the ceremony, something nurse Kenkel said was just part of her job.
“The babies are going to have the best outcomes if the families are taken care of and going home happy,” she said. “Being in the NICU is already so stressful. This is just one more thing I could do to take care of my patients.”
Tyler Vazquez is the Growth and Development Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Vazquez at 321-480-0854 or tvazquez@floridatoday.com. X: @tyler_vazquez.
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