A new proposal to legalize recreational marijuana in Florida has been filed, with the goal of appearing on the 2026 ballot. The revised measure, sponsored by the Smart & Safe Florida committee, aims to address concerns raised by Governor Ron DeSantis and others who opposed a similar measure that failed to pass in 2024.
The new proposal would allow adults 21 and older to purchase and possess marijuana, but with some key differences from the previous version. For example, it would prohibit smoking and vaping in public places and marketing and packaging that is attractive to children.
The proposal also addresses DeSantis’ concerns about the 2024 measure, which he argued would have prohibited the state from regulating where marijuana could be used. The new version explicitly prohibits smoking and vaping in public places and allows the state to regulate where marijuana can be used.
The proposal has been bankrolled by Trulieve, the state’s largest medical marijuana company, which contributed over $144 million to the 2024 effort. The company’s contribution accounted for nearly 95% of the total amount raised by the Smart & Safe Florida committee.
The proposal would allow the state’s current medical marijuana operators to sell recreational pot, and would also open the door to new entities entering the market. This could lead to a wholesale market for marijuana, which is currently lacking in Florida.
DeSantis has been a vocal opponent of recreational marijuana, and his administration has taken steps to block the proposal from appearing on the ballot. However, proponents of the measure are hopeful that the revised proposal will be more successful.
“I think this is good news,” said Paula Savchenko, an attorney who specializes in cannabis law. “I think it’s really smart that they did address the issues that he did have, and so hopefully he’s more receptive to something like this in the future.”
The proposal would need to gather hundreds of thousands of petition signatures to appear on the 2026 ballot. However, the special legislative session called by DeSantis could make it more difficult for the proposal to get on the ballot. The session is scheduled to start on January 27, and could include changes to the process for gathering and submitting petitions.
