Two-thirds of Florida voters said they will support Amendment 3, the state’s constitutional amendment to legalize adult-use cannabis, when it appears on the ballot in just under two weeks, according to a recent poll. Conducted by the University of North Florida’s Public Opinion Research Lab (PORL), the poll found 66% voter support for legalization, 30% of voters in opposition, and 4% who said they were undecided.
If passed, Amendment 3 would legalize the possession of up to 3 ounces of cannabis flower for adults aged 21 or older. As a constitutional amendment, the issue requires at least 60% voter support to pass.
“After years of polling on marijuana in Florida, both medical and recreational, it is clear that the majority is in favor of legalization. Closing in on election day, despite some heavy campaigning, we’re seeing support for this amendment and is on track to exceed the 60% supermajority required to pass.” — Dr. Michael Binder, PORL faculty director and UNF professor of political science, in a statement
“This poll is another welcome reminder that Amendment 3 is expansively supported and widely seen as the best path forward for Florida,” Smart & Safe Florida spokesperson Morgan Hill said in a press release. “Legalizing recreational adult use marijuana is good for the health, safety and individual freedom of Floridians, and we are energized to continue showing that to voters between now and Election Day.”
The poll also found bipartisan support for the amendment, with 78% of Democrats, 73% of Independents, and 53% of Republicans saying they would vote yes on the issue. Notably, the campaign has pitted the state’s most high-profile Republicans against one another, with Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and former President Donald Trump (R) — who is a Florida resident — taking opposing sides.
DeSantis launched an opposition campaign earlier this year. The governor also vetoed a proposal in July to restrict intoxicating hemp products in the state, after which many of the state’s hemp operators pledged to donate $5 million to the Republican Party of Florida to help defeat the upcoming legalization vote. This week, DeSantis argued that cannabis supporters should also oppose Amendment 3 because the campaign was largely funded by Trulieve, the state’s largest medical cannabis company which stands to gain significantly more customers if the amendment passes, the Florida Phoenix reports.
Meanwhile, Trump said last month that he would vote yes on Amendment 3, and called on lawmakers “to responsibly create laws that prohibit the use of it in public spaces, so we do not smell marijuana everywhere we go, like we do in many of the Democrat run Cities.” The former president also said that he supports moving cannabis from Schedule 1 to Schedule III under federal law.
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