ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Supporters of a proposed constitutional amendment to legalize recreational marijuana in the state of Florida are a step closer to getting it on the 2024 ballot – but there are more obstacles ahead.
Sponsors of the amendment, "Smart & Safe Florida," submitted 294,046 valid petition signatures for the proposed constitutional amendment to undergo judicial and financial impact review. It needed to cross the 222,898 signature threshold to be considered.
This key factor in the process to get on the ballot cleared one checkpoint. The Florida Supreme Court will review the proposed language and wording to make sure it's not misleading to voters.
If the proposal is approved, the group will need to collect a minimum of 891,589 valid signatures, with a certain number of signatures coming from 14 of the 27 Congressional Districts in Florida to take it to the ballot.
Trulieve Inc., a medical and recreational cannabis and CBD provider, has contributed $20 million to the effort. Another $124.58 was contributed by two others.
The proposed amendment would allow anyone 21 and older to possess, purchase or use marijuana products and accessories for non-medical personal consumption by smoking, ingestion or other ways. It would "not change or immunize violations of federal law," but establish possession limits for personal use.
A previous proposed constitutional amendment was nixed from the 2022 ballot after the state Supreme Court ruled the ballot language was misleading.
World-renowned country duo the Bellamy Brothers have voiced their support for the amendment. David and Howard Bellamy are medical marijuana cardholders, have their own brand of flower “Old Hippie Stash” with Truelieve and believe cannabis can make a positive difference in people's lives.
