Wide Majority Of Floridians Support Legalization Initiative

Already a key medical market, valued as high as $1.8 billion, Florida is gearing up for a potential ballot initiative to expand into adult-use next year. According to a new poll from the University of North Florida, nearly 70% of state residents support the legalization initiative, which received majority support across all demographics recorded by the survey, covering multiple races, ages, and political affiliations. The greatest support came from Democrats (78% positive) and people aged 18-24 (86%), but even traditionally more conservative groups showed majority support for the initiative, with 55% of Florida Republicans and 51% of people over 65 years old indicating that they would vote to approve legalization.

While previous polls of Floridians have shown support for legalization, this poll used the language and specifics of the potential amendment to gauge support for a real-world ballot-initiative scenario. Currently, the initiative is being challenged in Florida’s Supreme Court. Back in November, the state’s attorneys, as well as the Florida Chamber of Commerce, argued that the initiative was invalid because it didn’t specify that cannabis would remain federally illegal and that the measure was too broad to be counted as a ballot initiative. Although the court pushed back on these arguments, they have not yet issued a ruling, so the initiative remains in limbo. The court has until April 1, 2024 to rule.—Shane English

Tagged : cannabis, Florida legalization

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