Attorney General Ashley Moody is urging the Florida Supreme Court to reject a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow recreational use of marijuana by people 21 and older, arguing a ballot summary would be “misleading to voters in several key respects.”
Trulieve, the state’s largest medical-marijuana operator, had contributed $39 million as of the end of May to a political committee spearheading the effort to place the proposed amendment on the 2024 ballot. The Smart & Safe Florida committee needs the Supreme Court to sign off on the proposed ballot wording before the measure can go before voters.
The court twice ruled that previous initiatives aimed at authorizing recreational use of marijuana did not meet constitutional muster. Under the Florida Constitution, ballot initiatives must not be confusing to voters and must address a single subject.
In a 49-page brief filed Monday, lawyers in Moody’s office argued that the “Adult Personal Use of Marijuana” proposal would mislead voters in several ways.
The ballot summary, in part, says the measure would allow “adults 21 years or older to possess, purchase, or use marijuana products and marijuana accessories” for non-medical consumption.
“That is incorrect and misleading,” because marijuana remains illegal under federal law, the state’s brief said. “In previously approving similarly worded ballot summaries, the court erred.”
The Supreme Court in 2016 signed off on…
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