There’s a new effort to make marijuana legal in Florida – nope, not just medical marijuana. We’re talking legal recreational use of marijuana by adults; a new group will announce its new voter initiative this week. It’s called Regulate Florida and it is an effort to amend the state constitution to legalize and regulate marijuana in Florida for adult use.
On WMNF News’ MidPoint host Seán Kinane interviewed Ray Strack, who is a supporter of Sensible Florida; that’s the political committee that has formed to try to pass the Regulate Florida initiative. Strack is a retired U.S. Customs agent and a member of LEAP – Law Enforcement Against Prohibition. He was a law enforcement officer but now thinks pot should be legal.
A recent Herald-Tribune story says that when the details of the Regulate Florida initiative are unveiled it will require the Florida Legislature to set rules to “license growing, processing, distribution and retail sales of cannabis and would make possession legal.”
Last November 58% of Florida voters supported the medical use of marijuana – that’s less than the 60% needed to pass. We talked about whether full legalization of pot for adult use could be less popular than medical use and what its chances are of of reaching that 60% threshold?
It’s possible there will be two ballot initiatives on the 2016 ballot – Regulate Florida and the medical marijuana question (United for Care).
Strack insists legalizing marijuana would regulate it and do a better job of keeping it out of the lungs of children than is happening now.
The Regulate Florida initiative is being reviewed by the Florida Division of Elections. Then it would need to pass inspection by the state Supreme Court and then you would need to gather 683,000 verified signatures by Florida voters.
Strack says the group is using the state’s Constitutional amendment process rather than having the Florida legislature legalize recreational or medical use of marijuana because legislators have dragged their feet even in passing the simplest medical marijuana laws.
The Herald-Tribune article mentioned that there are at least two other groups that are seeking ballot status for their initiatives to legalize recreational pot use.
Marijuana use is now legal in Colorado, Washington State, Alaska and Oregon. This November voters will consider legalization in Ohio and in 2016 voters will weigh in on legalization in Maine, Michigan and California.
Legal pot could generate more than a billion dollars in Florida in its first year.
Listen to the full show:
https://soundcloud.com/wmnf/regulate-florida-wants-to-legalize-pot-wmnf-news
5 Responses to “Regulate Florida pushing ballot initiative to legalize marijuana”
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Thank you for coverage today!
A Quinnipiac poll before the election revealed an over 90% favorability for MMJ before Sheldon Adelson began pouring millions into reefer madness commercials on Matlock reruns on TV. Those same forces will be back in 2016. Seems to me that without a unified front, any cannabis measure will fail. And I’m not sure about Morgan. I mean, did anyone ever hear Charlie Crist make any impassioned speeches on behalf of medical cannabis patients? The scant commercials they did produce were pretty lame, I thought, at least in terms of inspiring voters. The Florida democratic party split the vote to elect Marco Rubio. They let GWB steal the 2k election, did they not? And then there’s DWS that couldn’t even bring herself to allow veterans with PTSD to be prescribed. That measure was defeated by 3 votes! I completely agree that this community should scrap the medical cannabis proposals for full legalization inasmuch as the republicans won’t recognize the will and the needs of the people, but individual truth and conviction isn’t what wins elections in this land of unlimited billionaire cash persuasion.
It will happen eventually, but all the roundabouts and politics sloppin’ up the issue are very annoying. And in the meantime, no medical maryjane or recreational, both which I would happily use for relaxation and to ease my pain. Just hope I live long enough. Freakin’ fools are running the asylum for sure.
As long as they don’t screw it up like DC or are sneaky like the Regulate Ohio folks are going about it. Yes absolutely it should be legal. We live in a tourist based economy. We will make more $ Regulating, reforming, decriminalization, industrializing, and using marijuana. Even a stoner can figure that out.
Cannabis is the most useful plant on the planet. food, clothing, shelter, energy, medicine, insight, re-creation. any law against it is a crime against humanity