TALLAHASSEE — Backers of a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow the recreational use of marijuana in Florida have passed a preliminary hurdle to get on the 2024 ballot.
The Smart & Safe Florida political committee, which has been bankrolled by the multistate cannabis operator Trulieve, had submitted 294,037 valid petition signatures as of Thursday, according to the state Division of Elections website. At least 222,898 signatures are required for the court to review the proposed wording of the measure, a key legal step in the process.
Trulieve, Florida’s largest medical-marijuana operator, has contributed $20 million to the effort, all but $124.58 of the money raised thus far. The committee had spent more than $19 million as of Dec. 31, with almost all of it related to petition gathering and verification.
The Supreme Court will review the wording of the proposal to make sure that it includes only a single subject and would not mislead voters. Justices rejected two ballot proposals in 2021 aimed at allowing recreational use of the drug.
If the Smart & Safe Florida committee gets Supreme Court approval, it would need to submit a total of 891,589 valid signatures to get on the 2024 ballot, with certain numbers of signatures coming from at least half of the state’s congressional districts.
Under the Adult Personal Use of Marijuana proposal, people 21 or older would be allowed “to possess, purchase, or use marijuana products and marijuana accessories for…