Trulieve CEO Wants to Set the record straight on anti-cannabis advertising, saying ‘Nothing appeals to kids’

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It’s the final attempt to convince voters of Amendment 3 before the Nov. 5 election.

There are many television advertisements both for and against the legalization of marijuana for adults in Florida. A new anti-pot ad boasts that weed is packaged like candy and can endanger children.

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That sent the CEO of one of the largest marijuana companies in Florida and the country on a mission to “set the record straight.”

News4JAX spoke personally with Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers about the safety of federally regulated marijuana products.

Rivers showed us live how exactly marijuana products are packaged. The products are white and opaque and do not have any colors on the packaging.

That’s a requirement of Florida law that she doesn’t expect to change when recreational weed is legalized in November.

A 30-second advert from the No on 3 campaign shows an emergency physician in California warning Florida residents about the legalization of marijuana. She recounts how many times she has seen children brought to the emergency room with marijuana poisoning saying, “Weed is packaged like candy.”

Rivers said the message is simply not true. Her company invested more than $80 million to get Amendment 3 passed in November.

“The only way, quite frankly, to protect our children is through legalization. And why do I say that? Because marijuana already exists,” Rivers said. “The products featured in some of these advertisements are not and will not be sold in the state of Florida. And we fully expect that the legislature will continue to maintain these regulations in the future and we fully support it, because this is also a regulated market for adult use.”

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Rivers is making stops all over Florida this week to campaign for the measure. The most important thing, in her opinion, is to provide clarity about what legal cannabis packaging looks like in Florida.

She showed News4JAX a “gel,” or edible marijuana product, that was clearly labeled as THC and had warning labels and child-resistant packaging.

“I think it’s really important for people to see this first hand. So this is what we call a gel. We can’t call them gummy bears. We don’t call them gummy bears. We call them gels. This is a cannabis gel available in the market today. So you can see that it is very boring. It is white, opaque and there is no color at all on the packaging. This complies with Florida law. Every single item in this package has been approved by the Department of Health,” Rivers said.

Walking into a Trulieve store feels more like walking into a dispensary than a marijuana store. Trulieve’s medical director, Dr. Terel Newton, said that was intentional.

“Nothing appeals to children, so everything is more or less aimed at adults. It’s almost boring,” Newton said.

Dr. Newton also warned about the dangers of street drugs that have not been tested in a laboratory. He said he has personally seen patients taken to the emergency room after ingesting unlabeled products and believes legalization will help prevent unnecessary deaths.

“This gum was tested and contained fentanyl. That’s why we’re trying to protect the public from that,” Newton said. “That’s what we’re trying to protect youth from and really all consumers of products like these that are unregulated and could contain dangerous opioids or other contaminants.”

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Rivers added: “Think about the alcohol ban, right? And remember again, people prepared alcohol at home, in the bathtub, etc. That was very dangerous. Anything could be in there. If you turn that into a safe, regulated market, right? Access is much more difficult for preteens and teens, and the same is true for adult marijuana use here in Florida.”

While the Yes on 3 campaign advocates for adults to be free to use marijuana, those opposed to Amendment 3 emphasize the downsides.

“It’s not about freedom – it’s about massive profits for a Big Weed corporate cartel,” Casey DeSantis posted on social media.

As with all statewide ballot initiatives, passage of Amendment 3 requires approval from 60% of voters. The Florida Legislature must approve adult-use marijuana regulations when they pass in the fall, similar to the process for medical marijuana.

Gov. Ron DeSantis, along with Jacksonville Sheriff TK Waters and Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook, plan to hold a campaign rally in Jacksonville on Thursday.

The group said they were coming together “to educate the public about how legalizing recreational marijuana would endanger the health and safety of Floridians and result in a poorer quality of life for all.”