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In a blow to Gov. Ron DeSantis and other Florida conservatives who oppose the bill, the state’s Supreme Court on Monday approved a recreational marijuana constitutional amendment for the Sunshine State’s November ballot.
The proposal, known as Amendment 3, would legalize “the personal use of marijuana products and marijuana accessories for non-medical purposes by adults” 21 and older if approved by at least 60% of voters statewide. .
Five judges ruled in favor of the bill, while two opposed it.
The amendment was the subject of a multimillion-dollar campaign led by Smart & Safe Florida, an organization that has raised more than $40 million for this purpose in recent years.
To place the measure on Florida’s ballot, supporters must first collect 891,523 signatures from residents. The Supreme Court must then rule on whether the revised language sticks to a single subject and is not misleading, which can be a difficult threshold to overcome.
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But for the majority of judges, it met that standard.
“Given these limited considerations, we authorize the amendment to appear on the ballot,” Judge Jamie Groshan, appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, wrote in the majority opinion.
Florida attorney general opposes recreational marijuana
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody had opposed the ballot measure. She said it did not cross the threshold and she accused it of being misleading.
He also said he gave an unfair advantage to Trulieve, Florida’s largest medical marijuana operator, which provided the majority of Smart & Safe Florida’s campaign funds.
Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers praised the decision in a statement Monday afternoon and said in an email that she “looks forward to supporting this campaign as it heads to the polls this fall.”
Medical marijuana was introduced to Florida following a 2016 ballot measure approved by more than 71% of voters. Past polls have shown that a wide range of Floridians support the 2024 bill.
DeSantis had expected the Supreme Court to approve the recreational marijuana bill, but recently said he was concerned about the smell of the substance.
“In some of the cities I’ve been to, it’s been like this everywhere, the smells, everything,” DeSantis said at a news conference in early March. “I don’t want to be walking around in front of stores with this. I don’t want any hotels to really smell.”
DeSantis also expressed concern that if the referendum passes, the state would no longer be able to place limits on when and where marijuana can be consumed, and smoking would also be allowed near schools. He also said that there are.
He said the proposed amendment had “the broadest language I’ve ever seen.”
This reporting content is supported by a partnership with Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners. USA TODAY Network-Florida First Amendment reporter Douglas Soule can be reached at DSoule@gannett.com.
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