Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has stated that voters will have their say in November on whether or not the state should legalize adult-use cannabis.
The ballot initiative to legalize recreational marijuana was filed by Smart and Safe Florida and its signatures have been verified by the Secretary of State’s office. It is now with the state Supreme Court for them to determine if the proposal meets various criteria, such as its adherence to the single-subject rule and its potential invalidity under the US Constitution.
Speaking just days before withdrawing from the race to become the Republican party’s nominee for the 2024 presidential election, DeSantis made clear that he believes the Supreme Court judges will give the green light to the measure.
“I think the court is going to approve that, so it’ll be on the ballot,” the governor said in response to a question from marijuana lobbyist Don Murphy.
This comes in spite of his personal reservations about reforming Florida’s marijuana laws, not to mention his statements on the presidential campaign trail against federal cannabis decriminalization.
DeSantis has, however, argued that marijuana users acting in accordance with state law should not face firearm ownership restrictions.
The Smart and Safe Florida ballot measure proposes legalizing the purchase, possession and use of recreational cannabis for adults 21 and older. It would also permit state-licensed businesses to acquire, grow, manufacture, process, sell, and distribute recreational cannabis products.
Under current Florida cannabis law, simple possession of up to 20 grams is considered a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a maximum fine of $1000.
Medical marijuana has, however, been legal in Florida since 2016 when voters approved Amendment 2 at the ballot box.
A recent statewide poll indicates that Florida voters are also likely to approve recreational marijuana legalization, with a survey carried out by the University of North Florida finding more than 67 percent of voters are in favor of the move.
Florida is far from the only state poised to legalize recreational marijuana at the 2024 November presidential elections. Eleven states are either already registered to put the marijuana legalization question to voters or are currently running active campaigns in order to qualify for the ballot.
