An adult-use cannabis legalization measure is one step closer to reaching Florida’s 2024 ballot after the Secretary of State’s office validated over 965,000 signatures for the initiative.
Florida-based multistate operator Trulieve, which has contributed more than $38 million to the Smart & Safe Florida campaign, announced June 1 that the state validated the signatures, which exceed the 891,523 needed to get the ballot measure before voters next year.
Smart & Safe Florida, which is chaired by David Bellamy of the Bellamy Brothers music duo, aims to legalize cannabis for adults 21 and older.
Key provisions of the proposed constitutional amendment include:
- Licensed medical marijuana treatment centers (MMTCs) and other licensed entities are allowed to acquire, cultivate, process, manufacture, sell, and distribute cannabis products and cannabis accessories to adults 21 and older for personal use;
- Adults and licensed operators shall not be subject to criminal or civil liability or sanctions under Florida law;
- An individual’s possession of cannabis for personal use shall not exceed 3 ounces of dried flower or 5 grams of concentrate;
- The state Legislature may provide for the licensure of non-MMTC entities to participate in the industry, and nothing prohibits the Legislature from enacting laws that are consistent with the amendment; and
- The effective date of the amendment is six months after approval by the voters.
“Our investment demonstrates our firm belief that Floridians are ready to experience the freedom to use cannabis for personal consumption; a freedom which is currently enjoyed by more than half of America's adults,” Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers said in a public statement. “With over 965,000 validated signatures from nearly every part of our state, it is clear these voters share that belief. We are thrilled the campaign has made this milestone and look forward to seeing this initiative on the ballot next November.”
The initiative must now receive approval from the Florida Supreme Court, where past legalization measures have stumbled. Most recently, the state Supreme Court ruled that a pair of previous attempts to legalize adult-use cannabis were misleading to voters and insufficient to appear on the November 2022 ballot.
This time around, when Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody submitted Smart & Safe Florida’s petition to the state Supreme Court on May 15, she argued that the measure should not qualify for the 2024 ballot because the language does not comply with state law.
RELATED: Florida Attorney General Says 2024 Cannabis Ballot Measure Fails Language Test
“I believe that the proposed amendment fails to meet the requirements of Section 101.161(1), Fla. Stat., and will present additional argument through briefing at the appropriate time,” Moody wrote to the Supreme Court justices last month.
The Florida Supreme Court will begin its process of reviewing the measure with briefs from opponents due by June 12 and briefs from supporters due by July 5.
“We believe the language, as written, comports with the single subject and clarity requirements under Florida law and look forward to a positive ruling from the Court,” Rivers said.
As a constitutional amendment, the measure must receive 60% of the vote in order to pass.
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