There is still football left to play in Tallahassee despite the Florida State Seminoles being eliminated from bowl contention with four games remaining in 2024. Next up on the docket are the North Carolina Tar Heels as FSU returns to Doak Campbell Stadium for a Saturday afternoon affair.

The Tar Heels snapped a four-game slide with a 41-14 victory against Virginia on the road last weekend. North Carolina has turned to graduate transfer quarterback Jacolby Criswell, who has completed 124/217 passes for 1,660 yards with ten touchdowns to three interceptions, in the wake of Max Johnson’s season-ending injury. The team also sports one of the top running backs in the country in Omarion Hampton. The dynamic threat has rushed 181 times for 1,006 yards and nine touchdowns.

An interesting fact worth knowing coming into the week; North Carolina head coach Mack Brown has never defeated Florida State – his alma mater – during his career (0-8). Two of those losses came to Mike Norvell in 2020 (31-28) and 2021 (35-25).

READ MORE: Blue-Chip Wide Receiver Decommits From Florida State Following 1-7 Start

Despite the history in FSU’s favor, the team enters the week, to no surprise, as a slim underdog in the matchup. According to early lines from DraftKings, Florida State is a +2-point underdog against North Carolina. The over/under is set at 50 points. FSU also trails +110 to -130 on the Moneyline.

This is the fifth straight game where Florida State has been regarded as the betting underdog. At this point, the Seminoles might not be favored to beat Charleston-Southern in a few weeks. Maybe that’s a little harsh but the product on the field is that bad and there aren’t many positives to take away from anything the team has done this season.

Florida State and North Carolina will kick off at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 2. The game will be televised on the ACC Network.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

READ MORE: Luke Kromenhoek’s Legs Spark Florida State’s First Touchdown Drive Against Miami

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•  19 Notes Regarding Florida State’s Sizable Loss To Rival Miami

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• FSU Fans, Former Players React to First Loss to Miami In Four Years

• Florida State Falls to Miami For First Time In Four Years

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:

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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