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Florida has attracted six new corporate sponsors, the group behind the bid to pass Amendment 3 announced on Wednesday. Smart & Safe Florida announced that the campaign has already raised $15 million from its new donors to support the effort, which would legalize cannabis for adults and authorize regulated sales of recreational weed. The Florida
Supreme Court announced on Monday that it had approved the legalization initiative for the general
election ballot, giving the state’s voters the opportunity to decide the issue. “We are not only pleased that the court has agreed to move this initiative forward, but we are also thrilled to announce a strong alliance of committed donors to the effort,” Smart & Safe Florida chairman David Bellamy said in a statemen t from the group on Wednesday. A campaign to legalize recreational marijuana in Florida has new financial support from six ... [+] companies already serving the state's medical cannabis patients. The new donors to the Florida marijuana legalization campaign are Verano Holdings Corp., Curaleaf Holdings, Inc, AYR Wellness, Inc., Cresco Labs. Inc., Green Thumb Industries, Inc., and Insa, Inc. All six companies have licensed cannabis operations in multiple states where cannabis is legal including Florida, where medical marijuana has been legal since 2016. Verano, one of the new supporters of the campaign to legalize weed in Florida, operates 63 MÜV-branded medical marijuana dispensaries in the state. “Following the Florida Supreme Court’s affirmative ruling confirming Floridians’
Democratic right and freedom to vote in support of Amendment 3, Verano and MÜV are proud to stand alongside cannabis leaders and advocates to inform, educate and collaborate on the countless economic, health and wellness benefits this incredible plant provides millions of Americans every day,” George Archos, CEO and founder of the company, said in a statement. “Florida has a chance to make history, and we’re thrilled to join Smart and Safe to drive positive lasting change in the Sunshine State.” Until now, the Smart & Safe Florida campaign was almost entirely supported by Trulieve, the state’s largest medical marijuana provider. In a post on X , Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers acknowledged the new donors “for stepping up to donate to” the campaign “and joining the fight to increase access to cannabis for adults in Florida.” There’s Some Good News For ‘3 Body Problem’ Season 2 Trump Media DJT Investors Are Now At Risk The 5 Most Common Dreams And Their Hidden Meanings From A Psychologist Florida’s Proposed Amendment Legalizes Pot For Adults The proposed ballot initiative would allow the state’s current providers of medical marijuana to begin selling cannabis to all adults aged 21 and up. Consumers would be permitted to purchase up to three ounces of marijuana at a time, including no more than five grams of cannabis concentrates. The bill does not include provisions to expunge past cannabis convictions or the home cultivation of marijuana, which activists feared would lead the Supreme Court to block the measure based on state laws that limit initiatives to a single subject. The proposed constitutional amendment also allows state lawmakers to authorize additional adult-use cannabis business licenses, although there is no requirement for the legislature to do so. The initiative retains Florida’s current vertically integrated business structure, which requires operators to control the production and marketing of marijuana from seed to sale. Legalizing recreational marijuana in Florida is widely supported by the state’s voters. More than one million voters signed petitions to place the measure on the ballot and a poll from the University of North Florida released late last year shows that 67% of voters support legalizing recreational marijuana in the state. Steve Reilly, co-owner and director of government relations at Massachusetts-based vertically integrated cannabis company Insa, the operator of 10 medical cannabis dispensaries in Florida, said that marijuana policy reform has positive impacts that extend beyond those who use the plant. “This week marked a monumental moment for the State of Florida. In putting Amendment 3 on the ballot this November 5, 2024, the Florida Supreme Court handed the decision for legal cannabis to the people residing within the 67 counties of Florida,” Reilly writes in an email. “We look forward to supporting the Smart & Safe Florida campaign to further awareness of the benefits a legal cannabis market provides including tax revenue, jobs and product safety, among others.” Supporters of the initiative have seven months to get their message out to the state’s voters, who will decide the fate of Amendment 3 in this fall’s presidential election. “As we move into the next phase of campaigning, we are grateful to have the support of our donors,” Smart & Safe Florida wrote. “We have come a long way, but our work has only just begun.” Editorial Standards Print Reprints & Permissions