Pointing to a “narrow timeframe” for meeting petition-signature requirements, backers of a proposed constitutional amendment to allow recreational marijuana use in Florida said Monday the measure will not go on the November ballot.
The political committee Make It Legal Florida had been hurrying to try to meet a requirement to submit 766,200 valid petition signatures to the state by a Feb. 1 deadline — and went to court to try to get more time.
But in a statement Monday, Nick Hansen, chairman of the committee, said supporters will try to put the issue on the 2022 ballot. That includes continuing with an effort to get Florida Supreme Court approval of the proposed ballot wording.
“The narrow timeframe to submit and verify those signatures has prompted our committee to shift focus to now gain ballot access in 2022,” Hansen said in the statement. “We’re looking forward to Supreme Court review of our efforts and working in collaboration with state leaders to ensure the supermajority of Floridians’ voices are heard.”
The state must receive at least 766,200 valid petition signatures by the Feb. 1 deadline for proposed constitutional amendments to go on the November ballot. But Make It Legal Florida filed a lawsuit Dec. 31 in Leon County circuit court seeking more time because it contended that a petition-gathering law passed year by the Legislature is unconstitutional and that problems with a Department of State database hampered petition efforts.
The case remained pending Monday, according to an online court docket. The state Division of Elections had tallied 299,216 valid petition signatures for the measure.
The Make It Legal Florida proposal, in part, would allow people 21 or older to “possess, use, purchase, display, and transport up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana and marijuana accessories for personal use for any reason.”
The political committee had raised more than $8.6 million in contributions as of Dec. 31, with nearly $4.85 million coming last month. Almost all of the money had been contributed by the medical-marijuana firms Surterra Holdings, Inc., which operates as Parallel, and MM Enterprises USA, LLC, which operates as MedMen.
In addition to needing to meet the signature requirements, backers of proposed constitutional amendments also need the Supreme Court to sign off on the wording of the proposals. As an example, the Supreme Court last week rejected a proposed amendment that would have overhauled the state’s electric-utility industry because it said the ballot summary would be misleading to voters.
Make It Legal Florida already faces opposition to its proposal in the Supreme Court, where Attorney General Ashley Moody and the state House and Senate filed briefs last week saying the pot amendment would be misleading. They argued that the proposal would not fully inform voters that marijuana remains illegal under federal law.
Attorneys for Make It Legal Florida filed a motion Monday asking the Supreme Court for an extension from Thursday to Jan. 20 to file its brief.
–Jim Saunders, News Service of Florida
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really says
IMO 5 years from now the same conversation. Legalization may never happen here. When I see it I will believe it.
SAVE FLORIDA says
Oh no, don’t do the most obvious RIGHT move towards marijuana legalization. Do the idiotic reverse, and that way Florida can keep arresting and incarcerating their citizens…make huge profits from the Court fines, Lawyers and Correctional Institutions and allow the police to turn normal citizens into FELONS because THEY don’t believe POT should be legalized.
Typical BACKWARDS Flori-DUH !!!
Stephen Smith says
All that really needs to happen is for the people to vote out those legislators that are against legalization.
Dave says
Florida is closer to a dictatorship than a democracy.
Dennis says
marijuana Is still illegal under federal law. If you use such, and purchase a firearm, you have committed a felony. You lied and the federal form you filled out, and that is a felony. Keep that in mind. If you use marijuana you legally can not purchase a gun under federal law
Jane Gentile-Youd says
If you are a booze addict you shouldn’t have a license nor the right to own a gun but here in Floriduh it’s okay to drive drunk and shoot whatever whenever.
I don’t know if it is stupidity, corruption or a combination of both which keep legalizing marijuana off the ballot. Despite proof all over the place the pot does more good than many man-made drugs the big pharmas are doing all they $$can to keep God’s herb in the closet. A note to our fine Sheriff who is otherwise doing a great job in my opinion .. stop arresting decent people and wasting my tax dollars as well as giving them a criminal record for using what God alone created. The wording on the ballot still allows the unlicensed ‘dealers’ to get busted but not the law abiding citizen who benefits and yes enjoys the stuff and who causes no harm to others.
Our state legislature has gone mad – they do what the big pharmas want, the NRA wants and now Air B&B to top it all off. I propose we change the name officially of our fine state to FLORIDUH and be done with it..
Agkistrodon says
Are you saying booze addicts in other states cannot do the same? Cause last I checked alcoholics can drive and own firearms in nearly every if not every state. Sounds like you have a problem with Florida, or those people from there with your inference that those from the State of living there are less intelligent than any other State. After all, the bulk of those in Florida are not from the State. I actually find your choice of words to be offensive, and it is sad and ironic that you do not.
snapperhead says
The infamous sky wizard also created the coca plant and opium poppy. Shoud we legalize cocaine and heroin as well because the sky wizard created them?