In the first three weeks of gathering petitions, a group looking to make recreational use of marijuana legal in the Sunshine State has gathered more than 100,000 signatures to add a proposed amendment to the Florida Constitution in 2020.
Make it Legal Florida announced on Thursday that it had obtained the signatures in the first 20 days of its efforts.
“We are blown away by the support of Florida voters, but our efforts are just getting started,” said Nick Hansen, the chairman of Make it Legal Florida. “Make it Legal Florida will continue the fight for what Florida voters clearly want— regulated adult use marijuana for those 21 and up. We’ll continue to remain focused on our efforts and feel confident that we will meet the goals and deadlines required by the state of Florida.”
The group offered some insights on its efforts so far.
“The Make it Legal Florida petitions were sent to prequalified voters in an effort to make it easier for Florida voters to have their voices heard, as part of a multi-tiered, statewide effort to gather signatures. Make it Legal Florida will submit signatures to county supervisors of elections, where it will take approximately 30 days for them to be verified and transmitted to the Division of Elections. Make it Legal Florida must submit 76,632 verified signatures for judicial review, and 766,200 total in order to make a ballot position,” the group noted.
With 100,000 signatures, Make it Legal will be able to have their petitions reviewed by the judicial branch.
The proposed “amendment would allow adults 21 and older in Florida to purchase cannabis for any reason from current and future licensed and regulated Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers (MMTCs), as long as it is in childproof packaging and not advertised to anyone younger than 21.”
To get approved, the proposed amendment would need 60 percent support from voters in the general election.
Author
Robert Miller
October 4, 2019, 11:45 am at 11:45 am
This make it legal petition is not what it is cracked up to be. It benefits big marijuana more than the Floridian people. Locking out all other legal competitors from the market that doesn’t already have a “medical marijuana treatment center” in Florida. All of which will still be charging in the neighborhood of $400.00 a ounce if not more. Where the black market is selling at $200.00 to $300.00 an ounce and have room to under cut that. And this alone will keep the black market strong and thriving. And all the child proof containers in the world will not stop the black market from selling to our kids. Besides are we required to keep our alcohol and cigarettes under lock and key to keep our children away from them? NO! Although it isn’t a bad idea. But most people use parenting to detour their kids from these products. The make it legal campaign also keeps it illegal for adults over 21 to cultivate a limited amount of plants for their own personal uses. Which the other two petitions for recreation marijuana do allow. And this could arguably hurt the black market more than anything. But some in big cannabis views it as hurting their bottom line. Or sighting public safety concerns. But in reality it wouldn’t affect ether at all. Due to most people that would participate in growing their own cannabis. considers their self a connoisseur of cannabis. And would more than likely be some of the best customers of the dispensaries with all their different strains. And Millions of people a year grow their own fruits and vegetables and some ever brew their own beer at home with no out cry for public safety. Now I’m not trying to detour people from signing the make it legal petition. But quite the contrary sign it. Sign all three if you will. I personally will sign all three in hopes all three make it to ballot. So us as Floridians can vote on the laws we want. not what big cannabis or A.G. Ashley Moody tells us what we need to vote on. And just remembered your vote counts try not to let other people tell you how to use.