Florida Will Legalize Recreational Marijuana Soon If Voters Have Their Say, New Poll Finds

A new poll conducted by the University of North Florida's (UNF) Public Opinion Research Lab (PORL) revealed that people in the Sunshine State broadly support recreational marijuana legalization.

Under the "Adult Personal Use of Marijuana" initiative, people over 21 years would be allowed to “possess, purchase, or use marijuana products and marijuana accessories for non-medical personal consumption.”

What Did The UNF Poll Find?

According to the poll, "an impressive 70% of respondents said they support the measure, either strongly or somewhat, while 29% said they strongly or somewhat oppose."

PORL's latest Florida Statewide Survey shows 70% of registered voters support legalizing recreational marijuana in Florida.
Check out the full survey results at https://t.co/MK3gji1z93 pic.twitter.com/LMqfKZxADL

— PORL (@UNFPORL) March 9, 2023

The proposal to legalize cannabis has received support from both major political parties, with 75% of Democrats and 57% of Republicans in favor of it. Additionally, 78% of voters who do not belong to a political party also support the reform, per Marijuana Moment.

Recreational Marijuana, On Track For 2024 Ballot?

It is possible that the residents of Florida will be given an opportunity to vote for or against the legalization of marijuana on the 2024 ballot.

“Efforts to put recreational marijuana in front of voters in 2024 are in the beginning stages, but support for it is high across the political spectrum,” said Dr. Michael Binder, PORL faculty director and professor of political science. “If it makes it onto the ballot next year, and that’s a big ‘if,’ it has a good chance of reaching the 60% supermajority needed to pass.”

Moreover, the Florida measure "cleared its first legal hurdle last month when supporters collected enough valid signatures to qualify for court and court review," reported local media.

Also, it was filed by the Smart & Safe Florida political committee and funded almost entirely by Trulieve Cannabis Corp. TCNNF, which contributed $20 million to the political committee campaign, of which more than $19 million was spent on expenses related to the petition collection and verification. 

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Photo: Courtesy Of Denys Kostyuchenko On Unsplash