Florida Marijuana Campaign Has Collected Nearly 70 Percent Of Signatures Needed To Put Legalization Initiative On 2026 Ballot, State Data Shows

A Florida campaign seeking to qualify a marijuana legalization initiative
for the state’s 2026 ballot has now collected nearly 70 percent of the
required signatures to put the measure before voters.

Almost six months after the campaign Smart & Safe Florida first filed the
measure, the latest data from the state Division of Elections shows that
advocates have gathered 613,214 of the needed 880,062 signatures to secure
ballot placement.

This comes after the group made the 2024 ballot with a prior version of the
legalization proposal that fell short of a steep 60 percent vote threshold
to pass.

Last month, the state affirmed that the campaign collected enough for the
2026 initiative to trigger a fiscal and judicial review.

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said in February that the newest measure is in “big
time trouble” with the state Supreme Court, predicting it will be blocked
from going before voters next year.

“There’s a lot of different perspectives on on marijuana,” DeSantis said.
“It should not be in our Constitution. If you feel strongly about it, you
have elections for the legislature. Go back candidates that you believe
will be able to deliver what your vision is on that.”

“But when you put these things in the Constitution—and I think, I mean, the
way they wrote, there’s all kinds of things going on in here. I think it’s
going to have big time trouble getting through the Florida Supreme Court,”
he said.

In addition to collecting 880,062 valid signatures from registered voters,
Smart & Safe Florida must gather them from a minimum of 8 percent of voters
in at least half of the state’s congressional districts. The campaign has
currently exceeded the needed threshold in just three of the 28 districts,
but is close in several others.

Marijuana Moment reached out to the campaign for comment, but a
representative was not immediately available.

At its current signature count, the campaign has already succeeded in
reaching one of the first milestones. The state is now statutorily
obligated to conduct a judicial and financial review of the measure that
will determine its legal eligibility and inform the electorate about its
potential economic impact.

The latest initiative was filed with the secretary of state’s office just
months after the initial version failed during the November 2024
election—despite an endorsement from President Donald Trump.

Smart & Safe Florida is hoping the revised version will succeed in 2026.
The campaign—which in the last election cycle received tens of millions of
dollars from cannabis industry stakeholders, principally the multi-state
operator Trulieve—incorporated certain changes into the new version that
seem responsive to criticism opponents raised during the 2024 push.

For example, it now specifically states that the “smoking and vaping of
marijuana in any public place is prohibited.”Another section asserts that
the legislature would need to approve rules dealing with the “regulation of
the time, place, and manner of the public consumption of marijuana.”

Last year, the governor accurately predicted that the 2024 cannabis measure
from the campaign would survive a legal challenge from the state attorney
general. It’s not entirely clear why he feels this version would face a
different outcome.

While there’s uncertainty around how the state’s highest court will
navigate the measure, a poll released in February showed overwhelming
bipartisan voter support for the reform—with 67 percent of Florida voters
backing legalization, including 82 percent of Democrats, 66 percent of
independents and 55 percent of Republicans.

However, the results conflict with another recent poll from the Florida
Chamber of Commerce, a proactive opponent of legalization, that found
majority support for the reform among likely voter (53 percent) but not
enough to be enacted under the 60 percent requirement.

In the background of the campaign’s signature development, DeSantis signed
a GOP-led bill last month to impose significant restrictions on the ability
to put initiatives on the ballot—a plan that could impair efforts to let
voters decide on marijuana legalization next year.


*— Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug
policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon
supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps,
charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments.*


*Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on
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Separately, a Florida GOP senator claimed recently that the legalization
campaign “tricked” Trump into supporting the 2024 measure by misleading him
and the general public about key provisions.

Ahead of the election, Trump said in September that he felt Amendment 3 was
“going to be very good” for the state.

Before making the comments, Trump met with the CEO of Trulieve, Kim Rivers,
as well as with a GOP state senator who is in favor of the reform.

While Trump endorsed the Florida cannabis initiative—as well as federal
rescheduling and industry banking access—he has since been silent on
cannabis issues. And his cabinet choices have mixed records on marijuana
policy.

Meanwhile in Florida, some medical marijuana patients and caregivers in
Florida could see their state cannabis registrations revoked under a bill
signed into law by DeSantis this week.

DeSantis on Monday signed SB 2514, a broad budget bill that touches on
cancer, dentistry and other health-related matters. But it also contains a
provision that directs the state Department of Health (DOH) to cancel
registrations of medical marijuana patients and caregivers if they’re
convicted of—or plead guilty or no contest to—criminal drug charges.

DeSantis Signs Bill To Strip Florida Medical Marijuana Cards From People
With Drug Convictions

*Photo courtesy of Philip Steffan.*

The post Florida Marijuana Campaign Has Collected Nearly 70 Percent Of
Signatures Needed To Put Legalization Initiative On 2026 Ballot, State Data
Shows appeared first on Marijuana Moment.