Florida Supreme Court rules to let marijuana legalization amendment on 2024 ballot

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Supreme Court ruled on Monday to allow a marijuana legalization amendment on the 2024 ballot.

The amendment would allow for adults 21 years or older to possess, purchase or use marijuana products and marijuana accessories for non-medical, personal consumption.

The initiative was put forth by Smart and Safe Florida.

Currently, Florida allows medical marijuana for adult usage. According to the Medical Marijuana Program, Florida had over 830,000 residents on the program, as of July 2023.

In a press release my Smart Approaches to Marijuana, an organization seeking to combat “big marijuana,” argued that following the decision, it is time to “unite” to combat the “predatory industry” form “abusing” the state.

“Election year politics in Florida are about to get a potent dose of pot pushing by Big Marijuana,” said Dr. Kevin Sabet, the president of the organization and former advisor to Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

“This campaign to inject more dangerous drugs into Florida’s communities will allow Big Marijuana to spend millions on misinformation and drive voters for the benefit of industry backers,” he said.

“Today’s high-potency, industrialized THC drugs in the form of candies, drinks, vape oils and other products are often 6-times as potent as regular marijuana, making them more addictive and more dangerous,” Sabet added. “Despite the industry’s claims, their high-potency THC drugs are increasingly linked to IQ loss and significant mental health issues including depression, suicidality, psychosis, and schizophrenia.”

He argued that the pro-marijuana groups will ally with “Big Tobacco,” dumping millions of dollars into the ballot initiative that Sabet said will unequivocally be framed around issues like social justice, tax revenue, rights and health care.

“The data from a decade of the industry’s lies and lobbying is clear. Legal weed in Florida will cost taxpayers more money, worsen an already significant mental health crisis, impact public safety and snare more young people and minority groups in a spiral of addiction,” he said.

Legislation attempting to limit THC potency in marijuana, if the the ballot measure was to pass, failed to make it through the legislative process.

The bill would have required that marijuana for smoking could not have had a THC potency greater than 30% and all other marijuana products, excluding edibles, could not have a THC potency greater than 60%. It also regulated marijuana edibles and vape pens.

When the legislation was going through committee stops, Rep. Randy Fine, R-Palm Bay, expressed his support for the bill because if the concern that the passage of the ballot amendment was likely going to happen.