Recreational marijuana in Florida: What would change if voters approve Amendment 3?
What would change if recreational pot was legal?
In November, Floridians will have the opportunity to vote on Amendment 3, which proposes the legalization of recreational marijuana in the state. If approved, adults aged 21 and older would be permitted to purchase recreational cannabis. However, it's crucial to note that state constitutional amendments are limited to addressing a single issue at a time.
ORLANDO, Fla. - In November, Floridians will have the opportunity to vote on Amendment 3, which proposes the legalization of recreational marijuana in the state.
If approved, adults aged 21 and older would be permitted to purchase recreational cannabis. However, it's crucial to note that state constitutional amendments are limited to addressing a single issue at a time.
The specific regulations surrounding the sale and use of recreational marijuana remain uncertain. While Amendment 3 could legalize marijuana, it does not outline the regulatory framework for its distribution and consumption.
Nonetheless, individuals working in the marijuana industry express enthusiasm for the potential legalization. Lydea Strickland, General Manager of Cookies Orlando, sees the approval of Amendment 3 as a long-awaited and necessary step forward.
"I think it was necessary. It was definitely way overdue," she said.
Financial support for Amendment 3 has been provided by Trulieve, a company spearheading the medical marijuana sector in Florida through its campaign called Smart and Safe Florida. Kim Rivers, CEO of Trulieve, emphasizes the importance of access to safe and regulated marijuana products.
"This whole thing is about access. It's about giving folks a safe alternative to clean and regulated products," said Rivers.
As discussions continue, crucial aspects such as taxation rates, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content limits, and personal possession allowances remain undetermined. Florida's current stringent penalties for marijuana possession highlight the potential impact of Amendment 3's passage on the legal landscape.
She says we don’t know yet what taxation for adult use of marijuana will look like, so we don’t know how much people can expect to pay for it overall.
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"When you talk about pricing, I think that's the biggest variable as it relates to pricing is just kind of where does that fall. And again, that's something that the Legislature will need to determine."
We also don’t know whether there will be limits on THC content or how much people will be able to bring home with them.
Right now, Florida has one of the strictest punishments in the nation for marijuana possession. You could get a felony conviction for possessing less than three-quarters of an ounce.
This amendment also doesn’t allow people to grow their own marijuana plants at home. That might be another step in the future.
The amendment would need a supermajority of 60% of Florida voters to pass.
Florida has a bigger marijuana footprint than you might think. This industry is growing in Florida, too, even with the vote for recreational marijuana still seven months away.
FOX 35 talked to Peter Gallagher, the head of a dispensary, Insa. He says they just opened a new shop in Orlando.
"It's a really, tailored experience, to someone, you know, that may be new to that canvas. It’s very low-pressure."
The CEO of Sunburn is originally from Key West. The company has a dispensary in Orlando and operates cultivation, processing, and labs outside of Eustis and Winter Park. This model is called vertical integration.
In Florida, each company must be responsible for its "weed" from seed to sale.
A few people on FOX 35 talked with hope about recreational marijuana and expanding the number of products available at dispensaries. Gallagher also hopes that people who weren’t comfortable going on the list of medical marijuana patients or who couldn’t afford to pay for the registration card will be able to seek treatment for cannabis once it’s legalized for recreational use.
"It’s going to give more consumers safe access to its products," said Gallagher. "[They’ll] be able to go and buy lab-tested products from registered regulated sensors."
Because dispensaries don’t know how the product will be taxed or regulated, they can’t really plan around it.