Smart & Safe Florida is arguing the state is wrongfully invalidating hundreds of thousands of petition signatures.
As efforts are ramping up to return a referendum before Florida voters in 2026 for the possibility of legalizing recreational cannabis, so too is the legal activity surrounding the issue.
It’s another battle royale brewing over marijuana, which is already legal for medicinal use in the Sunshine State. But the pro-recreational group Smart & Safe Florida[1]. That’s the lobbying effort that helped to get the issue on the ballot in the 2024 election. The proposed constitutional amendment fell short of the necessary 60% approval from Florida voters to open up recreational use to all residents.
Smart & Safe Florida this month filed a lawsuit against state officials the lobby says is trying to throw out hundreds of thousands of petition signatures that are part of the criteria to get the ballot initiative before voters next year, according to a Politico report[2].
At issue is some 200,000 petition signatures that were already verified for the constiutional amendment[3] to appear on the ballot next year. But the Florida Secretary of State’s Office[4] has been working to invalidate those signatures. According to state officials, Smart & Safe Florida failed to give a complete copy of the proposed Florida constitutional amendment when they asked for signatures by mail.
The latest development is an extension of the conflict between recreational cannabis advocates and Gov. Ron DeSantis who adamantly opposed the referendum that called for the legalization of pot a year ago. He argued legalizing recreational marijuana would make Florida “stink” too much of the burning weed.
DeSantis recently acknowledged[5] most Floridians don’t agree with him and his stance on the Adult Peronsal Use of Marijuana amendment. It drummed up 56% approval at the polls a year ago, just shy of that 60% necessary for legalization. Voters did meet that threshold when they approved the medicinal marijuana legalization constitutional amendment in 2016.
“And let’s just be honest, they were pushing issues in which probably more people agreed with them than agreed with me or agreed with us,” DeSantis said, describing pot as “somewhat popular.” He added he’ll still oppose the recreational legalization marijuana on moral grounds.
References
- ^ Smart & Safe Florida (smartandsafeflorida.com)
- ^ Politico report (www.politico.com)
- ^ constiutional amendment (smartandsafeflorida.com)
- ^ Florida Secretary of State’s Office (dos.fl.gov)
- ^ DeSantis recently acknowledged (floridapolitics.com)