Why are we Turning Our Backs on our Republican voting Veterans?
There are a large majority of Floridians that want a safe and beautiful Florida. Those same people are also the ones that made our community, our country, and our lives safe. These same people need help, not financially and not another GI bill. These people are our neighbors, our friends, and our living heroes. Veterans need help and have done their part, now we have to do ours. Florida is in a crossroads on legalizing recreational adult only marijuana use or just keeping it to medical use only.
So as Tallahassee and the politicians fight for Amendments or laws to be passed. We have forgotten the ones who need the medicine not the drug. Over 20% of veterans in America suffer from some form of PTSD. Too many veterans live on a fixed income. They cannot afford the costs associated with obtaining a Florida medical marijuana card. Veterans also currently make up almost 25% of the nation’s unhoused population. The suicide rate of veterans is higher than any other group.
Cannabis can be a far more beneficial treatment for the mental and physical ailments that affect veterans than traditional big pharma drugs. Still, we are willing to shell out millions to the big pharma lobbyists. Millions of Americans use medical cannabis to live a mentally and physically pain free or reduced pain lifestyle.
In 2025, the governor of Florida failed to sign a bill. A bill that would give free medical marijuana cards to veterans of the USA. Adding another level of stress to an already troubled veteran. This is a war that a veteran does not need to enter, especially without any weapon. Or medication!
In April of 2025, the Florida House Health and Human Services Committee has unanimously advanced House Bill 555. This occurred in a rare display of bipartisan unity. A proposal designed to make Florida’s medical marijuana program more affordable and accessible. If enacted, the bill would eliminate registration and renewal fees for military veterans. It would also extend the validity period of all medical marijuana identification cards from one year to two.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Alex Andrade (R-Pensacola), represents a pared-down version of earlier proposals. Earlier proposals included broader reforms like home cultivation and patient reciprocity from other states. Still, this narrower version has gained significant support among patient advocates. Cannabis industry stakeholders also support it. They view it as a meaningful step toward easing the burden on patients. This is especially true for those living on fixed incomes.
Currently, patients in Florida’s medical marijuana program are required to renew their ID cards every year, at a cost of $75 per renewal. Under HB 555, that renewal cycle would shift to once every two years. Cutting down both the administrative hassle and the long-term cost for patients. For veterans who submit proof of honorable discharge, the bill would remove the registration and renewal fee altogether.
These changes would have gone into effect starting July 1, 2025, when the bill passed. But DeSantis did not sign it into law. Many veterans of war say the opioid prescriptions make things worse. There has to be a better way to care for our veterans in Florida.
Over 40% of soldiers have some form of brain injury or had a concussion. Many of these veterans chose other forms of medication. The US government covers Schedule II prescriptions for veterans through the VA, but not medical marijuana. Medical Marijuana is still considered under the federal DEA a Scheduled I drug. A prescription for a controlled substance listed in Schedule II requires a written prescription from a practitioner. Alternatively, it can be dispensed with an electronic prescription. The DEA states that Schedule I drugs have no accepted medical use. They have a high potential for abuse. These include substances like heroin, LSD, MDMA (Ecstasy), and synthetic cannabinoids.
Florida has strict laws governing the handling of controlled substances in pharmacies to prevent misuse, abuse, and diversion. Scheduled II drugs are classified, prescribed, dispensed, and stored, ensuring patient safety and legal compliance for healthcare providers. Medical Marijuana is easier to get and less controlled by the government. Because it is not as harmful as a prescribed Scheduled II drug. No one ever overdosed from medical marijuana in America!
Some people believe cannabis is as dangerous as opioids or stimulants. Others believe it is completely harmless and has no side effects. You cannot overdose on cannabis in the way that you can overdose on, say, opioids. To date, there have not been any reported deaths from cannabis use alone. This is according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). So, why did Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a veteran himself, not sign the bill. A bill that would give free medical marijuana cards to veterans instead of using harmful opioids.
These same veterans are Republicans that voted for you and for Trump. They were on the frontline of Making America Great Again. They are at their own crossroads now over their healthcare needs. Do they vote in 2026 over their love for their country and vote Republican. Or do they worry about not having another episode and vote Democrat (or Capitalist) to save their life. They do not want to vote Democrat (or Capitalist), they are patriots and know the harms. They also understand the consequences when they do not receive the medical care they need. This includes the treatment they deserve and have earned. They could use pharmaceuticals made overseas but would rather use a safe, more regulated product often locally grown and produced. Medical cannabis is the privilege they would love to use instead of the usual drugs that are prescribed. They veterans just want to feel normal. They do not want the side effects from opioids and are already on many other medications in some cases. They have to change their prescription medication. Then, they must go through the four-to-six-week trial to see if the medication is effective. These are the worst times for a suicidal veteran who has given their life for our benefit.
There are numerous studies and mounting evidence that medical cannabis has been shown to reduce suicidal thoughts and tendencies. These veterans do not want recreational cannabis to just get high. They need medical cannabis care to survive. Can we do that for a veteran, are we patriots? They also have trouble in the workplace due to firings from testing positive.
This is the voter base that will decide the three-person governor race in Florida.
The Republicans in Florida have a new opponent in the race. Florida mega billionaire lawyer John Morgan has jumped into the race. He was behind Amendment 3 in November of 2024. That Amendment in Florida was to legalize recreational cannabis. It got 56.6% of the vote and almost passed.
In 2026, that vote topic will come up in the governor’s race. It is Morgan’s talking point. John Morgan calls himself the Pot Daddy. What will the Republicans do? The Trump team is putting Byron Donald’s as their choice. Casey DeSantis and whomever else runs, will be up against an unwinnable fight. Trumps choice will have to be for legalizing recreational just to compete. Casey DeSantis will not push for recreational adult only cannabis use in Florida. Veterans do not want that either, they want their medicine.
They know the effects of unregulated drugs and street cannabis use in communities. Ron and Casey DeSantis are already against that 56.6% voter base from 2024. No Florida Republican veteran is voting for legalizing cannabis and making it harder for vets to get cards for free. Then there are also veterans who want Casey DeSantis to win the governor’s race. They would rather have their lives in a hand of a vet’s wife then a Democrat or Morgan. But if we do not act, we will lose these voters come 2026. Why? These veterans will choose cheap cannabis. It is uncontrolled and legal. They want to afford feeling better and living their lives.
We made a story about John Morgan months before he announced running for governor. We called him the smartest politician in Florida before he even threw his hat in the ring. Not one Republican in Florida was listening. Now the fight is at the feet of this new candidate, legalizing marijuana. All he has to do is kick it, and he is leading the Florida Governor’s race for 2026.
Some patients get a medical cannabis card to abuse it and get high, let us be honest people will find a way to abuse anything. Then there are the large majority who need the medicine to be healthy and feel normal. We are lumping recreational cannabis use with a veteran’s medicine that they need to survive. Medical cannabis is a medicine that works just like aspirin and statins. People use aspirin to help with pain, anxiety, and aches. People use statins to help with high cholesterol and heart attack and stroke. Veterans do not want to rely on alcohol. They do not want to rely on narcotics. They do not want to leave their house and go drinking at a VFW hall after taking their morphine.
They are fathers, brothers, husbands and have families to take care of. They were not involuntarily drafted; they chose to serve their country. We must change the way we think about veterans of war. They have physical and mental trauma that needs to be addressed, and we now need to serve them. We were not ashamed of them when they signed up to go off to another country and defend our freedom. We should not be ashamed now, when they need our help.
We need to be proud of them now and help them heal. We need to hold a special Press Release and sign the bill into law. These are American patriots that want to vote Republican. We are not addressing their needs. If we are willing to help an illegal entry immigrant in Florida. But when it comes to vets, we cut funding for their medical needs and bills.
These voters need you to rethink your values. Keep up with the growing research to support medical cannabis. This is essential to maintain a voter base. There are thousands of Republican registered veteran voters. Their families will vote Democrat or Capitalist (John Morgan’s Party). They will do this to help their health. Despite the other horrible policies that could come with a Democrat or Morgan as governor.
Are we going to turn our backs on veterans? Are we willing to let John Morgan pull the rug out from underneath us? We have to wake up and smell what the voters in Florida are cooking.
It might be a smell we do not like, but we must recognize the outcome. We will lose all the progress Trump and the new MAGA GOP have made. This will happen if we lose the medical cannabis Republican vote. The 2024 elections results show us 56.6% of Floridians are willing to vote for a politician who will make the pot legal. So why lose the medical cannabis voter that wants us in office. A politician is only as good as his stable. Just like the trainers in the Kentucky Derby. They can lose one race but still have a stable of studs that can win another race. The Republicans only have a slim margin when it comes to that voter base. We either wake up or lose in 2026. Why do I care? Why am I bringing this up to you?
Serving our veterans is important. Having a Republican in power helps us control the flow, quality, and use of medical marijuana. And then if or when it goes recreational and legal. We can have more say and tighter control over how it affects our state at the next stage too. Think past today for tomorrow.