Florida Supreme Court Extends Deadline For Attorney General In Cannabis Ballot Challenge

The Florida Supreme Court has granted a two-week extension to Attorney General Ashley Moody to submit her brief detailing her opposition to a proposed marijuana legalization initiative and why it should be kept off the 2024 ballot, reported Marijuana Moment.

The extension, which was pushed back to June 26, was granted as the AG’s office said pressing deadlines and limited staff were apparently hindering the completion of the argument within the required timeframe. 

The Smart & Safe Florida campaign did not object to the deadline extension. The court cautioned Moody against seeking further delays, stating that multiple extensions for the same filing are discouraged unless there are extenuating circumstances.

Smart & Safe Florida, which seeks to legalize recreational marijuana in the state, successfully gathered enough valid signatures to meet the qualification requirements for the 2024 ballot. The Florida Division of Elections confirmed that 967,528 signatures had been verified as of the end of May, surpassing the required threshold of 891,523 signatures.

Moody's office had previously submitted a filing to the court, arguing that the proposed initiative violates the state Constitution's single-subject rule for ballot measures.

The AG intends to provide further details on her position in an upcoming briefing. Despite Moody's opposition, supporters of the initiative say they have thoroughly vetted the measure and are confident that it complies with constitutional requirements.

To appear on the ballot, the initiative must secure valid signatures amounting to at least 8% of the district-wide vote in at least 14 of the state's 28 congressional districts, in addition to meeting the statewide signature threshold. Smart & Safe met this requirement in exactly 14 districts, as per the updated state data.

If approved, the proposition would allow adults over 21 "to possess, purchase, or use marijuana products and marijuana accessories for non-medical personal consumption by smoking, ingestion, or otherwise." The initiative would not allow home cultivation for personal use.

Meanwhile, Florida-based medical cannabis giant Trulieve Cannabis Corp. TRUL TCNNF has poured at least $30 million into the campaign, of which more than $19 million was spent on petition collection and verification expenses.

Read Marijuana Moment's full coverage here.