Amendment 3 is one of two amendments on the ballot put there by citizens, not lawmakers (the other being Amendment 4). Its passage would make marijuana use legal for adults over 21, define the amounts, and define the business market for it.
Important to consider: the amendment provides an outline. If voters approve it, the Florida Legislature will then write the specific rules, regulations and restrictions to implement it, which may include regulating the places and manner, as it does with tobacco.
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This is a similar process as when voters approved the amendment to legalize medical marijuana eight years ago. And Amendment 3 uses as its basis and framework that same language from the medical marijuana amendment.
Amendment 3 would allow adults 21 and over to legally buy and possess up to 3 ounces of marijuana, and personally use it. The amendment also adds who can grow it and sell it. Initially, that would be just the 25 licensed medical marijuana companies with more than 600 dispensaries statewide. But Amendment 3 would allow lawmakers to also license non-medical entities to grow, acquire, transport, distribute and sell marijuana.
A legal recreational marijuana industry is expected to be big business, according to state analysts. Based on sales tax projections, they project $200 million to $400 million a year going to the state when legal marijuana is fully operational. There is currently no timeline to predict that.
That profit incentive may explain why cannabis companies bankrolling this amendment are on track to spend a collective $100 million on the effort to legalize marijuana in Florida.
Supporters also cite the saved costs, both personal and for law enforcement, of decriminalizing personal marijuana, sparing an estimated 200,000 people annually from arrest and incarceration.
Currently, 24 states have legalized marijuana use. Voters in North and South Dakota will also be deciding with Florida in November.
A “yes” vote on Amendment 3 will support legalizing adult personal marijuana use in Florida starting mid-2025.
A “no” vote leaves current laws in place, including for medical marijuana use.