Pro-cannabis advocates in the Sunshine State are once again trying to legalize adult use. Two separate measures were recently submitted to the state in hopes of getting on the ballot in 2028.
The first initiative would legalize the possession and consumption of cannabis for adults 21 and over. The measure would limit possession to two ounces of marijuana, including no more than five grams of concentrates.
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Existing medical marijuana dispensaries could add adult-use sales, while standalone recreational licenses would also be created. The measure specifically bans marketing and packaging deemed attractive to children. It also prohibits public consumption.
The second initiative is nearly identical. However, it provides a more detailed framework for creating an adult-use industry, including deadlines for establishing regulations if lawmakers fail to act. It also permits licensed businesses to sell cannabis to one another. Under Florida’s current medical marijuana program, companies must be vertically integrated, meaning they grow, manufacture, and sell their own products.
The measures need just over 220,000 signatures to trigger judicial review and just over 880,000 signatures to qualify for the 2028 ballot.
A legalization initiative by Smart & Safe Florida qualified for the 2024 ballot but failed to meet the state’s 60 percent “yes” vote requirement. The measure received almost 56 percent “yes” votes.
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Smart & Safe Florida attempted to get a similar measure on the 2026 ballot but failed after state officials invalidated roughly 71,000 signatures. The campaign is now targeting the 2028 ballot.
Florida voters legalized medical cannabis in 2016. Since then, the state has become one of the largest medical marijuana markets in the country.
With multiple campaigns now aiming for 2028, voters in Florida could once again have the chance to legalize adult-use cannabis in the state. The 2024 result showed majority support for legalization, though it fell short of Florida’s 60 percent threshold for constitutional amendments. However, all campaigns must still gather enough signatures to move to the next step.
