Advocates with the Smart & Safe Florida campaign have launched a new cannabis legalization initiative that aims to appear before voters in 2026, CBS reports. The new campaign comes just a few months after the Amendment 3 legalization campaign failed last November with only about 57% voter support (constitutional amendments in Florida require a 60% supermajority of voter support to pass).
The new ballot initiative is a revamped version of last year’s proposal but advocates have taken steps to address some of the concerns highlighted by critics of Amendment 3, including new language that specifies “smoking and vaping of marijuana in any public place is prohibited” and new rules against cannabis advertising and packaging that could be considered “attractive to children.” Additionally, like the previous proposal, the new initiative would allow the state’s current medical cannabis operators to begin servicing Florida’s adult-use market. However, the initiative would also require lawmakers to “adopt legislation for the licensure and regulation” of other adult-use operators, the report said.
The new initiative would also exempt new operators from state rules requiring the cannabis industry to be vertically integrated, which would enable wholesale operations and other specialist roles for the industry.
Last year’s cannabis reforms effort in Florida was the most expensive legalization campaign ever — advocates raised over $152 million, more than 94% of which was contributed by Trulieve, the state’s largest medical cannabis operator.
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