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By Gram Slattery
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said he supports a ballot initiative in Florida that would legalize recreational use of marijuana for adults ages 21 years and older.
The statement, made on social media platform Truth Social late on Sunday, comes after a separate comment in late August in which he implied he was open to legalizing recreational marijuana use in the state.
Trump's support of the ballot initiative, known as Amendment 3, comes even as some fellow Republicans, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, have come out against the measure. The former president's administration generally opposed measures to open up access to cannabis.
Trump will face off against Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, in the Nov. 5 presidential election. Polls indicate that the race is essentially tied.
"As I have previously stated, I believe it is time to end needless arrests and incarcerations of adults for small amounts of marijuana for personal use," Trump wrote.
"As a Floridian, I will be voting YES on Amendment 3 this November."
In his Sunday social media post, Trump also appeared to throw his weight behind legislative efforts, ongoing in some form since his own term, to make it easier for banks to serve cannabis businesses that operate in accordance with state laws.
"As President, we will continue to focus on research to unlock the medical uses of marijuana to a Schedule 3 drug, and work with Congress to pass common sense laws, including safe banking for state authorized companies," Trump wrote.
In a statement, the Harris campaign said Trump's statement contradicts his own administration's record of opposing marijuana reform.
"Despite his blatant pandering, Donald Trump cannot paper over his extensive record of dragging marijuana reform backward," said Joseph Costello, a Harris campaign spokesperson.
(Reporting by Gram Slattery, editing by Ross Colvin, Deepa Babington and Bill Berkrot)
