Florida’s long-running fight over a proposed recreational cannabis amendment took another turn this week after state election officials confirmed they had completed a key step that a pro-legalization group accused the DeSantis administration of deliberately delaying.
Smart and Safe Florida, the organization behind the proposal, filed a petition with the Florida Supreme Court in October, accusing the state of stalling the ballot certification process. On Tuesday, Attorney General James Uthmeier urged the court to dismiss the case, noting that the action the group sought had been carried out the day before.
Maria Matthews, the director of the Division of Elections, issued the required letter confirming that the group had collected enough verified signatures to move the measure forward.
According to the state’s filing, Smart and Safe’s lawsuit requested that the court compel officials to send the acknowledgment letter and advance the petition to the attorney general. The state argued that the issue is now moot because the letter has been delivered and the proposal sent along for further review.
This marks the second lawsuit the group has filed over the proposed amendment. The latest legal move comes months after the recreational marijuana measure fell short during the 2024 election cycle. While 56% of voters backed legalization, Florida law requires at least 60% for a constitutional change.
The defeat followed a high-profile effort by Governor Ron DeSantis and several state leaders who campaigned aggressively against the initiative. They warned that expanding access to marijuana would harm communities and invite corporate influence, turning the issue into one of the most contentious fights of the year.
In its October lawsuit, Smart and Safe said it informed the election division in August that the campaign had far exceeded the number of verified petitions needed to trigger the next step in the process. The group said it had secured over 660,000 verified signatures, more than triple the minimum required to begin review.
Despite the early notification, no acknowledgment letter was issued for months. Smart and Safe argued that the delay was intentional and part of a broader effort to hinder the initiative. The group pointed to an October 3 directive from the Secretary of State instructing county supervisors to invalidate up to 200,000 petition signatures.
According to the order, organizers did not include the full text of the proposed amendment in certain mailings, which the state said violated petition rules. The decision wiped out nearly one-fourth of the signatures required for next year’s ballot and was the core of the group’s lawsuit.
The wider marijuana industry, including allied firms like Innovative Industrial Properties Inc. (NYSE: IIPR), will be glad that the effort in Florida has notched this step in the process of making its way onto the ballot.
About CNW420
CNW420 spotlights the latest developments in the rapidly evolving cannabis industry through the release of an article each business day at 4:20 p.m. Eastern – a tribute to the time synonymous with cannabis culture. The concise, informative content serves as a gateway for investors interested in the legalized cannabis sector and provides updates on how regulatory developments may impact financial markets. If marijuana and the burgeoning industry surrounding it are on your radar, CNW420 is for you! Check back daily to stay up-to-date on the latest milestones in the fast -changing world of cannabis.
To receive SMS alerts from CNW, text CANNABIS to 888-902-4192 (U.S. Mobile Phones Only)
For more information, please visit https://www.CannabisNewsWire.com
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW, wherever published or re-published: https://www.CannabisNewsWire.com/Disclaimer
CannabisNewsWire
Denver, CO
www.CannabisNewsWire.com
303.498.7722 Office
Editor@CannabisNewsWire.com
CannabisNewsWire is powered by IBN
