An initiative campaign to put marijuana legalization on the November, 2024 ballot in Florida has collected more than the 891,523 valid signatured required to do so.
As of the end of April the Smart & Safe Florida campaign had submitted 841,130 valid signatures, just 50k signatures short of the 891,523 required to put their proposal on the 2024 general election ballot. However, the group has now collected over 900,000 signatures, and will soon be submitting them to the state. If enough of these are valid (from registered Florida voters), as is expected, this will give Floridians the opportunity to legalize recreational marijuana eight years after they legalized medical marijuana.
The initiative would allow those 21 and older “to possess, purchase, or use marijuana products and marijuana accessories for non-medical personal consumption by smoking, ingestion, or otherwise.” Licensed marijuana retail outlets would be allowed to distribute the plant, with any of the state’s licensed medical-marijuana dispensaries allowed to “acquire, cultivate, process, manufacture, sell and distribute such products and accessories.”
According to a poll released in March by the Public Opinion Research Lab at the University of North Florida, just 29% of Florida voters oppose legalizing marijuana, with 70% in favor and just 1% undecided. This is important given the fact that based on Florida law the initiative will need 60% support in order to be enacted into law.
In February Florida State Senator Victor Torre filed legislation that would also legalize recreational marijuana for everyone 21 and older. Senate Bill 1576 would make the personal possession of up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana legal in Florida for everyone 21 and older, while also allowing them to grow up to six marijuana plants. The measure would also establish a “Division of Cannabis Management” in the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services that would be in charge of overseeing the legal marijuana market. As of the time of publication the proposal remains stalled in committee.
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