Smart & Safe Florida Lawsuit Says Officials Are Blocking Adult-Use Cannabis Ballot Question

The Florida campaign seeking to legalize adult-use cannabis in the state is
suing Gov. Ron DeSantis’ (R) administration in the state’s Supreme Court,
claiming state election officials are trying to block the proposal
from appearing on 2026 ballots, the Associated Press reports. In the
petition filed last week, Smart & Safe Florida alleges that officials
“failed to perform an indisputable legal duty” and called on the court to
order state election officials to confirm the campaign has gathered enough
signatures to qualify for ballots.

“As reflected by Respondents’ own publicly reported data, the initiative
petition at issue here has secured three times the number of verified valid
petitions required statewide. Ignoring the indisputable facts and their
clear legal obligation, Respondents refuse to exercise their mandatory
ministerial duty.” — Smart & Safe Florida, in the filing, via the AP

April 1, 2026, is the deadline for the state Supreme Court to sign off on
the proposed amendment, which is required before the issue is put to
voters. Smart & Safe contends that it has collected more than three times
as many petition signatures as the law requires, but that state elections
officials have, for months, failed to formally confirm those petitions.

In the writ of mandamus on behalf of the campaign, attorney Glenn Burhans,
Jr. called it “nonsensical, and contrary to the express constitutional and
statutory mandates, to allow the Secretary and Director to indefinitely
refuse to issue the…Letter and frustrate the constitutional order.”

State officials have not commented on the litigation.