Effort to legalize recreational marijuana knocked down by Florida Supreme Court

I have lost count on how many times Florida GOP politicians (and SC) have prevented the citizens to have any say on this matter. Even if it had made it to the ballot, it would still require 60% to pass, but it seems they won't take any chances of it to make it to the ballot.

Effort to legalize recreational marijuana knocked down by Florida Supreme Court
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/marijuana/article250867704.html
A high-profile effort to legalize marijuana was all but killed by the Florida Supreme Court on Thursday.

In a 5-2 decision, justices ruled a constitutional ballot initiative by Make it Legal Florida to be “misleading.” The ruling came after Attorney General Ashley Moody asked for the court to advise whether the potential constitutional initiative would be suitable for a future ballot.

Make It Legal’s proposal would have left it up to Florida voters to decide whether to allow Floridians older than 21 to possess and use up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana. The initiative’s sponsor had raised $8.2 million for the effort and had gathered more than 556,000 signatures out of the 891,589 needed for it to make the 2022 ballot.

 

What do you think the roadblock is?

It was legalized here in IL in January 2020. Our property manager sent out a notice that we aren't allowed to have it in the building. I don't smoke but some of my neighbors do (that stuff reeks!). Interestingly, our manager just sent a notice earlier this week that they will be banning the smoking of cigarettes soon. I don't smoke cigarettes either so I don't have a dog in the race.

 

The Florida Congress and courts which is solid Republican. They have been standing in the way from day one, making it practically impossible for this to make it to ballot. They know if it makes it to ballot, it would receive more than 60% because the measure has wide support from the people.

Their house, their rules. That's fine. My employer would never allow it, and we get tested so I dont have a dog in the race either, but it annoys me that they won't allow people to have a say in the matter.

 

Gotta love potheads. They go out of their way to stereotype themselves, just like that girl in the picture....

 

Even if they legalized it, potheads would still go out of their way to do it illegally. We legalized it medically here in Oklahoma, and there are still idiots that get caught with like 2 tons of it in their trunk....

 

It's a plant that grows in the damn ground ffs. A weed actually it'll take over you're back yard if you give it half a chance. I don't see where gov't agents need to be dispatched to my house to save me from it.

 

Potheads are kinda like vegans or gays. You don't have to ask them if they are, they will go out of their way to make damn sure you know that they are, whether you wanted to or not...

 

That's who I'm talking about. Do you think they are opposed solely because they are Republicans?

It seems like they only care about advancing their own interests. At least, it looks that way from the outside.

 

Black market? Probably so, but at least people who have a desire to abide by the laws would have an option to do it legally. That + tax income.

 

Yeah, that's how they sold it to the public here in Oklahoma. "Just think of all the tax revenue that will go to the State and the schools." What they didn't tell you is that the only schools it supports are advanced higher education like OU, OSU, and other colleges. Not a single dime has went to public schools. And now they are griping about how much the card costs and how high the tax is on it. Oh well, that's the way you sold the idea of legalization to us. Deal with it....

 

Why are Republicans always against what the People want? Why are they such Elitists?

 

I think they do it because Republicans have an evangelical base to pander to, and a prison system which needs customers. To be honest, it is strange that they can't just allow it on the ballot and say that it was what the majority wanted.

Landlords? Yes. They have a reputation to defend.

Some kind of control-freaks....

 

That is strange. Maybe some suppliers can bribe them to put it on the ballot. LOL

I meant politicians but landlords fit the mold too.

 

So they had collected 556,000 signatures and needed about 300 000 more, and now the Florida Supreme Court told them to modify the wording, and start over, including the signature collections.

Every single judge in FL Supreme Court has been appointed by a Republican governor.

 

So, a landlord is supposed to just let you do whatever you want on the property that they own? That's not how it works. You want freedom to do what you want, when you want? Get your own property....

 

That's what I said: Their house, their rules. Same with employers. They can still fire pot-heads. That's as it should be.

 

As the article states, Florida Republicans have something against having people vote on issues in general. They are pushing two bills down our throats to make more difficult for people to change laws via ballot aka vote. The politicians want to be in change of it, not "We The People". I think they have it upside down.

 

Just legalize it already, our courts have far more pressing matters to deal with. There's no reason I've seen people be against it except out of some personal disdain for the drug and/or the people who use it.

 

How do we know the state Supreme Court wasn't actually right, that the language of the proposition could have been misleading to the voters?

If that is really they case, they can just re-word it and try getting the proposition passed again.


I'm generally pretty Libertarian and believe government shouldn't unnecessarily get involved, but living in a state where it has been legalized I can see firsthand that it definitely does bring with it many downsides.
Ironically the type of people who smoke it and are most enthusiastic about it are also the ones who are not able to do so responsibly. It has resulted in an increase in road accidents, and I have no doubt has increased the rate of homelessness a little bit.

I think there probably (theoretically) is some way to allow its use with the right type of controls to prevent the downsides, but people are just not smart enough to figure out exactly how to do that.

 

It's "legalized" medically in Florida too, so I'm not sure where the outrage is. Like most states that have "medical" marijuana, the process is fraudulent. It's designed so potheads can get a special card for anxiety, back pain, and other diagnosis's that have no actual physical evidence.

If the OP can't figure out how to get his pot from Florida's fake system...I mean, even a pot head can do it.

 

It's still illegal at the federal level, so you are still a lawbreaker.

Anyway, since Democrats control the federal government, why have they not made it legal by now? I thought that would be their first priority.

 

They have played these games before. They let the proponents collect 500 000+ signatures and when they get close to the required amount of votes, they tell them to change the wording and start over, full well knowing there is not enough time to collect all the signatures.

So, there is a tad more to it than just changing the wording. Also, the max number of words in the ballot is 75, but the SC is telling them to use those words to explain State proposal and also explain the federal issues. They are making it impossible to get it on the ballot, and that's pretty corrupt on their part.

 

Me? I don't consume drugs.

Well, if that's what you thought, then that's what you thoughts. I thought they have other priorities, but I am not an expert in their way of thinking since I have never been a Dem.

 

It's legal now in Arizona and when I first went to a dispensary, I was expecting a bunch of kids ... mostly folks from their 40s to 60s ... I was quite shocked but then I remembered how old I am ... I'm not that big of a weed fan but I like to chew a gummie before I go hiking in the mountains ... very calming ...

 

Yeah, it makes sense, mostly people born in the 60s and early 70s.

The "flower child" generation.