Florida May Vote to Legalize Cannabis in 2020
A strong majority of Florida voters first voted to legalize medical cannabis in 2014, but the will of over 57% of Floridians went unheeded as Sunshine State law requires that constitutional measures require at least 60% of the vote. Undeterred, activists went right back to the ballot in 2016, winning overwhelmingly as more than 61% of voters cast ballots for medical marijuana. John Morgan, a local attorney and major financial backer of the medical amendments, now has his eyes set on 2020 to end cannabis prohibition for all adults.
Naples News reported:
Morgan said he is speaking with U.S. marijuana companies to raise enough money to get a proposed constitutional amendment on the ballot and would personally contribute any needed funds. He estimates the campaign would need about $5 million.
“At this particular time in America, people are tired of arguing about marijuana. Just legalize it and let it be,” Morgan said in an interview with The USA Today Network – Florida this week. “It’s a 21st-century business as we are losing jobs to robots and artificial intelligence.”
Morgan hasn’t settled on the details of a legalization amendment other than it would allow adults to use marijuana recreationally, similar to laws in place in Colorado and California.
Latest polls show support for legal cannabis greater than ever, at over 60%, so Floridians activists have a good shot at ending the failed, harmful, and racist policy of prohibition in a presidential election year with good turnout. Six out of ten voters is certainly a tall task as no state legalization proposal has garnered that big of a portion of the vote, although California got relatively close, with just over 57%.
With 9 states now with legal cannabis, along with our nation’s capital, John Morgan and other legalization backers will be able to point to the success stories of several other states, along with the entire nation of Canada. Hopefully, advocates are successful and Florida, with its booming tourism industry, will be enjoying more freedom, jobs, and revenue thanks to legal cannabis in just a few short years.
Learn about the latest legal, political, and business developments in cannabis at the upcoming International Cannabis Business Conference this September 27th-28th in beautiful Portland, Oregon. Get your tickets by September 12th to save yourself $200!
