Backers of a recreational-marijuana legalization effort announced Monday their proposal will not be on Florida鈥檚 2020 ballot -- though a separate legalization drive continues.
In an email to supporters Monday, leaders of the 鈥淩egulate Florida鈥� ballot initiative, which called for the state to regulate marijuana in the same way as alcohol, acknowledged they would not collect the necessary petition signatures before a Feb. 1 deadline.
Because the signatures have to be verified by elections officials prior to the deadline, petitions need to be submitted by Jan. 1, Regulate Florida鈥檚 board of directors said in the email.
鈥淭he sad reality is that we are not going to be able to meet that deadline,鈥� Michael Minardi, the chairman of the political committee behind the proposal, and other board members said in the message.
The group announced it isn鈥檛 giving up on legalizing pot and is turning its attention to the legislative session that begins Jan. 14.
鈥淲e will continue to advocate for adult use for all Floridians and pursue an agenda that includes home cultivation, employee protections, social consumption, expungement of criminal records pertaining to marijuana offenses and more,鈥� the board said.
Meanwhile, supporters of 鈥淢ake It Legal Florida,鈥� a separate measure to legalize recreational pot in the Sunshine State, continue racing to beat the deadline to get on the 2020 ballot. According to the Florida Division of Elections website, the political committee behind that proposal had submitted 159,250 valid signatures to the state as of Monday morning.
Initiatives require 766,200 signatures and need Florida Supreme Court approval of the proposed ballot wording to go before voters.
Two of the state鈥檚 largest medical marijuana operators have poured money into Make It Legal Florida since the effort was launched this year. Surterra Holdings, which operates under the name Parallel, and MM Enterprises USA, LLC, which operates as MedMen, have almost totally funded the political committee behind the effort.
The committee had raised -- and spent -- more than $3.7 million as of Nov. 30, according to the state elections website.
The Make It Legal Florida proposal would allow adults 21 or older to 鈥減ossess, use, purchase, display, and transport up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana and marijuana accessories for personal use for any reason.鈥�
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