Florida Supreme Court Shelves Cannabis Ballot Proposal With No Explanation Or Provisions As April 1 Deadline Looms

Uncertainty and frustration loom as the Florida Supreme Court failed to deliver a much-anticipated ruling on Thursday regarding the appearance of two proposed amendments, cannabis legalization and abortion rights, on the November ballot.

The court did not release opinions on Thursday, which is typically reserved for such announcements.

"There are no Florida Supreme Court opinions ready for release today, March 28, 2024," reported the court's press office at 11 a.m.

The Florida Constitution gives the court a deadline of Monday, April 1 to rule on whether any citizens' initiative meets the requirements for placement on the November ballot. A decision is now expected to come outside the usual schedule, as the court will be closed on Friday in observance of Good Friday, noted Democratic state House member Anna Eskamani (D) in an X post.  

"We can expect an out of calendar opinion release," she said, indicating that all bets are off in terms of when, where and how the news will be announced.

Florida's Republican Attorney General Ashley Moody has regularly criticized the cannabis initiative brought by advocacy group Smart & Safe, which has spent over $40 million, much of which was provided by Trulieve Cannabis TCNNF. One of Moody's main complaints about the ballot initiative is that it does not explicitly spell out the fact that cannabis is illegal at the federal level, which she has called “misleading."

Trulieve’s founder and CEO Kim Rivers is a speaker at the Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference in Hollywood, Florida April 16-17.

On several occasions, Moody has implied that voters who support legalization are buying into what she called a "reckless" proposal supported by the "monopolistic" Trulieve.

"In its pursuit of a larger customer base and greater profits, Trulieve has invited millions of Floridians to join it in reckless violation of federal criminal law," Moody wrote in a brief last August.

Now What?

Should the court endorse the measure at some point, many believe it could influence the dynamics of the upcoming presidential election, despite Florida's leaning toward the Republican Party and its resident GOP candidate Donald Trump.

The thinking is that the potential inclusion of Amendment 3, which would legalize recreational marijuana, and Amendment 4 to preserve abortion rights has fueled anticipation among supporters, as did the same two issues in Ohio last November when both were overwhelmingly approved.

The Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference in Florida is being held at new venue on April 16 and 17, 2024. The two-day event at The Diplomat Beach Resort will be a chance for entrepreneurs, both large and small, to network, learn and grow. Renowned for its trendsetting abilities and influence on the future of cannabis, mark your calendars – this conference is the go-to event of the year for the cannabis world. Get your tickets now on bzcannabis.com – Prices will increase very soon!

Image: Benzinga edit of official photo Florida AG Ashley Moody.