Florida’s Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments next month in a case that will determine whether a marijuana legalization initiative makes it onto the state’s 2024 ballot. The court has been receiving legal briefs from the state attorney general, who is challenging the initiative’s validity, and the Smart & Safe Florida campaign, the initiative’s proponents.
Attorney General Ashley Moody argues that the ballot initiative is misleading because it doesn’t clearly state that marijuana would remain illegal at the federal level even if Florida legalizes it. The campaign, on the other hand, contends that the initiative respects the citizen initiative process, with nearly a million certified signatures supporting its placement on the ballot.
The court has scheduled a hearing for November 8, with strict time limits for arguments. Moody previously succeeded in having a 2022 legalization measure invalidated on similar grounds.
To make it on the ballot, an initiative in Florida must have valid signatures from registered voters representing at least 8% of the district-wide vote in at least 14 of the state’s 28 congressional districts, in addition to the statewide requirement. The marijuana campaign has met this threshold in exactly 14 districts.
Trulieve, a marijuana company, has contributed over $39 million to the Smart & Safe Florida campaign, leading Moody to accuse the company of seeking a monopoly on the state’s cannabis market.
If approved, the initiative would change the state’s constitution, allowing existing medical cannabis companies like Trulieve to sell marijuana to adults aged 21 and older. It would also generate substantial tax revenue, according to economic analysts. A poll shows that 70% of Florida voters support legalization.
The initiative would permit adults aged 21 and older to purchase and possess up to three ounces of cannabis and five grams of marijuana concentrates. Medical cannabis dispensaries could also expand their operations to serve adults. The legislature would have the option to approve additional entities. There are no provisions for home cultivation, expungement of records, or social equity in the proposal. The initiative would take effect six months after voter approval.
By FCCT Editorial Team freeslots dinogame telegram营销
, an independent military force, and allied militias in Sudan raped several dozen women and girls in West Darfur’s capital, El Geneina, and those fleeing to Chad between late April and late June 2023, Human Rights Watch said today. The assailants appear to have targeted people because of their Massalit ethnicity and, in some cases, because they were known activists.){kind=link}