The battle to legalize medical marijuana in Florida has received a lot of media attention. Florida’s medical marijuana initiative failed in 2014, despite the fact that it received more votes than any candidate in Florida during the same election. Activists have been lobbying legislators in Florida ever since in an attempt to get a meaningful medical marijuana bill passed. There is also an effort to legalize recreational marijuana in Florida. Per the Palm Beach Post:
A Senate bill that would legalize the recreational use of marijuana and impose a $50-per-ounce excise tax on growers, producers and retail stores was introduced late Monday afternoon.
SB 1176, filed by Sen. Dwight Bullard, D-Cutler Bay, is identical to a bill Bullard filed last year. That bill died in committee without a hearing.
The bill would allow adults to use, possess, transport or give away up 2.5 ounces of marijuana and up to 6 seedlings. An adult could also grow up to six pot plants at home for personal use and smoke marijuana at home and in non-public places.
The sponsor of the bill does not have high hopes for it. The same bill was introduced last year and went nowhere. However, this is a new year, and a lot has changed even since last year in the marijuana world. Whether the bill passes or not, I think it’s safe to say every year that goes by Florida has a better chance of legalizing marijuana, as does every state in America. Because they can look to other states that have legalized and see that the sky is still intact, and that states like Colorado are reaping the benefits of legalization.
