TALLAHASSEE — Ahead of a likely bid to try and unseat Gov. Ron DeSantis, a new spotlight is focused on Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried’s friendship with embattled Rep. Matt Gaetz and their role lobbying for the state’s marijuana industry.
Before running for Agriculture Commission in 2018, Fried was a prominent marijuana lobbyist who helped boost Florida’s nascent marijuana industry. It was a policy issue that created a long-time bipartisan relationship with Gaetz, who has positioned himself as one of the leading pro-pot Republicans in the country — a reputation that goes back as far as 2014 when Gaetz, then-state lawmaker, sponsored a measure that legalized low-THC cannabis for medical use under a licensing scheme carried out by state regulators.