JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The push to make marijuana legal for recreational purposes has been an expensive one. It's estimated that the lobbying group Smart & Safe Florida has spent more than $40 million to convince voters to vote "Yes" on Amendment 3.
But what exactly does the amendment state?
The summary of the amendment calls for adults 21 years or older to be allowed to possess, purchase or use marijuana products and marijuana accessories for non medical personal consumption.
This expands a law that's been on the books since 2016 when more than 70% of voters in Florida chose to legalize medical marijuana.
Currently, 22 companies are licensed to grow and distribute medical marijuana, but industry leaders like Trulieve CEO and founder Kim Rivers believe that the number of licensed companies will double after the first year of legalization to meet demand.
But there are limits.
According to the paragraph of the bill labeled "personal use," people will be restricted to three ounces of marijuana or 5g of concentrate.
Furthermore, sentence two under section C labeled "limitations," grants the state legislature the ability to enact laws related to the amendment, like prohibitions on smoking in public.
According to a July 2023 report by the Florida Financial Impact Estimating Conference, sales tax revenue for recreational marijuana are estimated to be anywhere between $195 million and $430 million per year.
That money would then be able to be distributed by the legislature in any way they see fit, like extra funding to law enforcement or public schools.
Like all the other amendments, Amendment 3 needs to receive at least 60% of the vote in order to pass.