Florida Sen. Rick Scott says he’ll vote against recreational pot after brother’s death

By STEPHANY MATAT
Associated Press

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Sen. Rick Scott of Florida says he’ll vote in November against a ballot amendment to legalize recreational marijuana in his state. He says this is a deeply personal decision based on his brother’s long history of addiction. Roger Scott died in April at the age of 67. The senator told The Associated Press in an interview that the cause wasn’t substance abuse, but rather a life of drugs and alcohol catching up with him. He says that abuse began with marijuana. Scott’s takeaway on his brother’s fate stands at odds with a growing body of evidence casting doubt on whether marijuana is a gateway for harder drugs.