Florida Will Take a Second Vote on Cannabis
Second chance for legal recreational cannabis in Florida? Yes, a new rule proposal for a vote is in the making. The Sunshine State failed to legalize adult-use cannabis though a ballot initiative in the 2024 elections, however, an updated proposal has now been submitted to the state Division of Elections.
Floridians will not quit so easily on legal adult-use weed. Why would they? While a ballot initiative failed in the 2024 elections, the group Smart & Safe Florida has already moved forward and submitted a revised proposal to the state Division of Elections on Tuesday, Jan 14.
As per the next steps, and getting the revised initiative on the ballot, the campaigner Smart & Safe Florida will need to collect around 900,000 signatures. Moreover, the petition will need to be verified with Florida’s Supreme Court. And that would eventually qualify the measure for a vote on the ballot in 2026.
“When enough signatures are gathered to put this measure on the 2026 ballot, and upon Supreme Court approval, Floridians will have the opportunity to vote for adults over the age of 21 to have the ability to access the same freedom enjoyed by over half the country in consuming safe, lab-tested cannabis products in their own homes,” Smart & Safe Florida said in a Wednesday emailed statement, Tallahassee Democrat reported.
Florida Could Become One of the Biggest Markets, Second Only to California
Trailing behind California, Florida could easily grow into the second largest adult-use weed market in the nation. There’s a lot of business interest in launching a recreational market in the Sunshine State; billions are in question, and it could be a game-changer once the state fully enters the cannabis scene.
An initiative to legalize recreational marijuana would mean legal access to the herbal medicine for everyone aged 21 and above. The proposal also foresees possession of up to two ounces of weed and five grams of marijuana concentrates. As is the practice in other legal states, legalization would also establish a regulatory framework, as well as special cannabis board to oversee sales and manufacture of recreational cannabis goods.
The proposal from Smart & Safe Florida further seeks to grant provisions to the Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers (MMTCs) and Licensed Marijuana Entities to acquire, grow, manufacture, transport and sell cannabis for personal uses. MMTCs can continue operating their current facilities and open new ones with the approval of the Florida Department of Health.
With the revised proposal, several adjustments have been made to address criticism of the 2024 ballot measure. One of the main problems pointed out was lack of provisions that deal with cannabis use in public, a concern expressed by Rep. Governor Ron DeSantis, who has in fact heavily opposed legalization.
The revised measure unambiguously bans smoking or vaping weed in public zones. Marketing and packaging design that might appear attractive to children is also not permitted with the revisions.
The new proposal also permits legislative authority to control homegrowing, in line with other concerns expressed by advocates during last year.
Amendment 3 fell shockingly short of securing the needed 60% of the vote last November. It only made 56% of the vote, which was insufficient to pass under Florida law.
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Stephen Andrews
