Florida voters could soon be able to decide whether recreational marijuana will be legalized in the state in a move that's been years and perhaps decades in the making.
Here's a look at the state of marijuana legalization in Florida and what's expected to happen in the next year.
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A constitutional amendment approved by over 70% of voters in 2016 legalized medical marijuana in Florida.
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Medical marijuana is legal for Florida residents with medical marijuana cards who have been diagnosed with qualifying conditions such as cancer, epilepsy, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, among others.
Once a patient has been diagnosed and entered into the state's registry, they apply for a Medical Marijuana Use Registry Identification card. Once approved, the card can be used at medical marijuana treatment centers.
Local
There are nearly 860,000 qualified medical marijuana patients in the state, according to the Florida Department of Health's Office of Medical Marijuana Use.
Florida Dispensaries
All orders for medical marijuana are recorded and dispensed through the state's Medical Marijuana Use Registry.
Licensed medical marijuana treatment centers, or dispensaries, are the only businesses in Florida authorized to dispense medical marijuana and low-THC cannabis.
There are currently a little more than 600 dispensaries throughout Florida, owned by about two dozen different licensed operators.
Trulieve operates the most in the state, with 129, according to the most recent statistics from the state.
Recreational Marijuana
Recreational use of marijuana is currently illegal in Florida. Multiple attempts to make it legal in the state have failed but another attempt will be made in 2024.
The Florida Marijuana Legalization Initiative could appear on the ballot as a constitutional amendment on November 5, 2024.
If approved by voters, the initiative would legalize recreational marijuana for adults 21 years old and older and allow individuals to possess up to three ounces of marijuana.
The initiative would not authorize people to grow marijuana plants for personal use.
Smart & Safe Florida, the committee sponsoring the amendment, has raised nearly $40 million to support the initiative, with much of that coming from Trulieve.
Opposition to the Measure
The proposed amendment has become the subject of a court battle by some who don't want it to be on the ballot in 2024.
Lawyers for Attorney General Ashley Moody’s office and the Florida Chamber of Commerce argue that the amendment is misleading to voters and fails to address a single subject as required under state law.
The Florida Supreme Court heard arguments over it in November. Justices have until April 1st to decide whether the proposal should go before voters next year.
Support for the Measure
In Florida, constitutional amendments require a 60% supermajority vote of approval to pass.
If the measure gets put on the ballot, it stands a good chance of passing. A University of North Florida Public Opinion Research Lab poll found 67% of respondents "strongly" or "somewhat" support the amendment.
About half the states in the U.S. have made recreational marijuana legal, and the federal government took steps this year to possibly loosen restriction on marijuana.
In August, the federal Health and Human Services Department recommended taking marijuana out of a category of drugs deemed to have “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.” The agency advised moving pot from that “Schedule I” group to the less tightly regulated “Schedule III.”
Big Money in Marijuana
Since Florida legalized the sale of medical marijuana in 2016, it has become a billion-dollar business.
Florida's Department of Health collects millions of dollars in application and renewal fees for licenses and tens of millions more from patients.
Patients currently pay a $75 yearly fee to the state for their ID card to participate in the program.
Making recreational marijuana legal will likely generate billions more for businesses.
