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Florida Cannabis Legalization Initiative (2018)
| Florida Cannabis Legalization Initiative | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 6, 2018 | |
| Topic Marijuana | |
| Status Not on the ballot | |
| Type Constitutional amendment | Origin Citizens |
The Florida Cannabis Legalization Initiative (Initiative #17-01) was not on the ballot in Florida as an initiated constitutional amendment on November 6, 2018.
The measure was designed to legalize the recreational use of marijuana (cannabis) for persons 21 years of age or older. The measure would have also placed a 3.75 percent excise tax on the sale of marijuana. Under the initiative, revenue from the tax would have first gone toward administrative costs for implementing and enforcing the initiative; the remaining revenue would have been distributed to programs related to substance abuse, education, environmental conservation, and veteran’s assistance.[1]
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title was as follows:[2]
| “ | Legalize and Regulate Cannabis Initiative [3] | ” |
Ballot summary
The ballot summary was as follows:[2]
| “ | Control the production and distribution of cannabis under a system that licenses, regulates, and taxes the businesses involved in a manner similar to alcohol and to make cannabis legal for adults 21 years of age or older. Its intent is to remove the production and distribution of cannabis from the illicit market and to prevent the sale of cannabis to persons under 21 years of age by providing for a regulated and taxed distribution system.[3] | ” |
Constitutional changes
- See also: Article X, Florida Constitution
The measure would add a Section 29 to Article X of the Florida Constitution.[2] The full text of constitutional changes is available here.
Path to the ballot
In Florida, signature requirements for qualifying an initiative for the ballot are based on the total number of votes cast during the most recent presidential election. Sponsors must collect a number equal to 8 percent of this total and in accordance with certain distribution requirements. Signatures can remain valid up to two years after the date they were signed, but they must be verified by February 1 of the targeted year, and therefore must be submitted prior to that date.
The initiative was approved for signature gathering on May 19, 2017. The number of valid signatures required to get an initiative placed on the ballot for the election on November 6, 2018, was 766,200. Signatures needed to be verified by February 1, 2018. The initiative effort, however, was closed on September 19, 2017, according to the Florida Division of Elections as of November 6, 2017.[4]
See also
- Florida 2018 ballot measures
- 2018 ballot measures
- Laws governing the initiative process in Florida
- Marijuana on the ballot
Footnotes
- ↑ Florida Department of State, "Initiative #17-01 Overview," accessed August 24, 2017
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Florida Department of State, "Initiative #17-01 Petition," accessed August 24, 2017
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ /initiatives/ Florida Division of Elections, "Initiatives, Amendments, and Revisions," accessed November 6, 2017
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State of Florida Tallahassee (capital) |
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