Drug crimes are one of the fastest changing areas of law in the nation, especially with regard to marijuana usage. Recent changes in Florida and changes on the horizon remain relevant to all citizens. An awareness of the current legal landscape for drug crimes allows a person to better understand his or her legal rights.
Medical marijuana use in Florida became legal with the passage of a voter-approved measure in 2016. Recreational use of cannabis remains against the law, but according to a Rolling Stone article voters could approve the more widespread use of legal marijuana, maybe as soon as 2020. Make It Legal Florida, an organization devoted to liberalizing marijuana laws, registered in the state in 2019. Another advocacy group, Regulate Florida, collected 83,000 signatures targeted to support an amendment to allow voters a voice on a legalization proposal. The next step includes the collection of 766,000 signatures to place a referendum on the ballot. A number of powerful and well-funded organizations support the legalization of marijuana in the state.
Overall, state residents strongly support making marijuana use in Florida legal for recreational purposes. An article in the South Florida Sun Sentinel revealed that one poll showed 91% approval for the legalization of cannabis. While this number is high, a number of other polls put the support level at around 60%. This level is important because passage of state constitutional amendments require approval by 60% of voters. In addition to recreational use, Florida voters could also get the chance to approve the growing of cannabis in homes. For Florida residents, the year 2020 promises to include changes to the legal landscape for marijuana use.
