- A bill has been filed in Florida that would legalize recreational marijuana use for individuals over the age of 21 and allow them to grow up to six plants at home.
- The proposed legislation would allow eligible users to possess and use up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis, as well as “transfer, without remuneration,” up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana and up to six seedlings.
- The bill adds to ongoing efforts to legalize recreational marijuana in Florida, including a constitutional amendment challenge by the Smart & Safe Florida political committee, which has already gathered over 420,000 valid signatures.
Victor Torres, a Democrat member of the Florida Senate, filed a bill on Friday that seeks to legalize recreational marijuana use in the state for individuals 21 and older. The legislation would also allow Floridians to grow up to six marijuana plants at their place of residence.
The measure, if adopted, grants eligible users the right to possess and use up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis while also being able to “transfer, without remuneration,” up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana and up to 6 seedlings.
The bill adds to ongoing calls to legalize recreational marijuana, including a constitutional amendment challenge. The campaign, led by the Smart & Safe Florida political committee, totals 420,073 valid signatures at the time of this writing. The proposal 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.”
Backers — like Trulieve, which has contributed more than $20 million to the cause — are working to gather enough signatures to appear on the ballot next year. To reach the ballot, the political committee will have to submit 891,589 valid signatures and receive the Florida Supreme Court’s approval.
The campaign collected enough signatures in February to trigger a state Supreme Court review of the initiative, accruing the necessary 294,000 valid signatures from Florida voters.
The proposal also would allow any of the state’s 22 licensed medical marijuana operators to “acquire, cultivate, process, manufacture, sell and distribute such products and accessories.”
In 2020, a campaign called Make It Legal Florida attempted to gather enough signatures to put a marijuana legalization amendment on the state’s 2020 ballot but failed to reach the minimum count.
Medical marijuana was legalized in Florida in 2016 through a ballot initiative known as Amendment 2. The initiative was approved by 71 percent of voters, making Florida one of 33 states, as well as the District of Columbia, to have legalized medical marijuana in some form. The initiative was sponsored by a political action committee called United for Care, which was led by Orlando attorney John Morgan.
Amendment 2 proposed amending the Florida Constitution to allow the use of medical marijuana by individuals with debilitating medical conditions, as determined by a licensed Florida physician. The initiative outlined a list of qualifying conditions, such as cancer, epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis, among others.