Smart & Safe Florida, the nonprofit political committee sponsoring the marijuana legalization initiative Amendment 3, has raised over $120 million.
According to the Florida Division of Elections, Smart & Safe Florida has raised $121,717,339.03 in support of Amendment 3, as of October 21. The most recent donation was on October 18, with Trulieve giving another $10 million, adding to the tens of millions they’ve already donated.
Amendment 3 would make recreational marijuana a constitutional right. Under the proposed law, those 21 and older would be allowed to possess and use up to three ounces of dried marijuana flower and up to five grams of marijuana concentrates. These products would be available for purchase at licensed marijuana retail outlets and medical marijuana dispensaries with dual licenses.
A poll released this week by the University of North Florida’s Public Opinion Research Lab (PORL) found that 66% of Florida voters favor legalizing recreational marijuana, above the 60% threshold for a constitutional amendment to be enacted into law. Polling released last month by Emerson College came to a similar conclusion, finding that 64% of likely voters support Amendment 3.
The vast majority of the donations for Amendment 3 came from Trulieve, a multi-state marijuana company that operates over 150 medical marijuana dispensaries throughout the state. Other donors include Veranos Holdings, Curaleaf Inc., AYR Wellness Inc., Green Thumb Industries and hundreds of individuals.
The $121 million raised is more than quadruple any previous marijuana legalization initiative in any state. For context, the second largest sum raised by a state legalization campaign was $25 million garnered for California’s Proposition 64, which was approved by voters in 2016. In Ohio, their successful legalization campaign raised just $7 million.
