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Florida Marijuana Campaign Asks Supreme Court To Restore 71,000 Legalization Ballot Signatures State Officials Tossed

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2 months ago

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A Florida campaign has yet to throw in the towel on its proposal to put marijuana legalization on the November ballot, with an appeal of the nullification of about 71,000 signatures now in the state Supreme Court.

The courts again they recently agreed to drop a separate case involving a statutory review of the ballot measure From Smart & Safe Florida, he has now been given another case challenging the cancellation of the earlier mass signature.

The state’s First District Court of Appeals filed a notice calling for discretionary jurisdiction and a notice of appeal to the Florida Supreme Court on Monday, opening the door for voters to decide on legalization at the polls this year. This is, of course, conditional on the judges accepting the case and the campaign winning.

Smart & Safe Florida “states that approximately 70,000 petitions that have been declared invalid must be counted as the number of signed petitions needed to be placed on the ballot.” notice the states “Smart & Safe Florida asserts the discretionary jurisdiction of the Florida Supreme Court to review this court’s decision issued on January 23, 2026. The decision expressly affects a class of constitutional or state officers.”

In December, advocates filed a lawsuit in Leon County Circuit Court alleging that Secretary of State Cord Byrd (R) illegally ordered county election officials to invalidate about 42,000 signatures from so-called “inactive” voters and about 29,000 signatures collected by out-of-state petitioners.

That lawsuit came after another court upheld an earlier decision to strike with about 200,000 signatures, which the state said were invalid because the petition did not include the full text of the proposed initiative. The campaign challenged the legal interpretation, but declined to appeal the decision, confident it had collected enough signatures to settle the dispute.

Smart & Safe Florida has generally disputed the secretary of state’s signature count, confirming that the campaign has submitted more than 1.4 million petitions, hundreds of thousands more than the 880,062 valid signatures needed before voters.

In a recent filing with the Supreme Court, Attorney General James Uthmeier (R) said his office was withdrawing a previous request for legal review of the constitutionality of the proposed cannabis initiative because the state claimed it did not have enough petitions signed by the campaign. The final count, according to the secretary of state, was 783,592 validated signatures.

In a brief response, Smart & Safe Florida said the Secretary of State’s campaign did not meet the requirements to be on the ballot because “the sponsor did not meet the signature threshold in light of the cancellations that the sponsor contests.”

In return for the signature, Florida’s attorney general and several businesses and anti-marijuana groups has asked the state Supreme Court to block the cannabis initiativecalling it a “fatal flaw” and unconstitutional.

The Florida Chamber of Commerce, the Florida Legal Foundation and Judge Frank Shepherd filed another joint document, stating that the parties “remain particularly vigilant about the abuse of the citizen initiative process by out-of-state interests who believe that Florida is another market and that the citizen initiative process is another means of exploiting that market.”

The Florida Chamber of Commerce has consistently opposed attempts to move forward with adult-use legalization, as well his polls have shown a majority in favor of reform.

The campaign fought several legal battles this cycle to get its initiative on the ballot.

Last month, the state attorney general’s office opened dozens of criminal investigations and issued records subpoenas to Smart & Safe Florida and its contractors and subcontractors over alleged fraud related to the application effort.

Activists said in November they had collected more than a million signatures to put the cannabis measure on the ballot, but still He has sued state Supreme Court officials for delaying the certification processarguing that the review of ballot content and summary should have gone ahead several months ago when the initial signature threshold was reached. The state then he agreed to proceed with the processing.

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) campaigned hard against an earlier version of the legalization proposal, which received a majority of voters in 2024 but fell short of the 60 percent threshold needed to pass a constitutional amendment. Former Attorney General Ashley Moody (R) unsuccessfully challenged the earlier initiative in court.

Last March, however, two Democratic members of Congress representing Florida asked the federal government to investigate What they described as an “illegal diversion” of millions in state Medicaid funds Through a group with ties to DeSantis. The money was used to fight a popular ballot initiative the governor vehemently opposed that would have legalized adult marijuana.

The lawmakers’ letter alleges that a $10 million donation from a state legislative settlement was misappropriated to the Hope Florida Foundation, which later sent the money to two political nonprofits, and sent $8.5 million to the anti-Amendment 3 campaign.

The governor said last February The latest measure to legalize marijuana is in “big trouble” with the state Supreme Courthe announced that it would be blocked from going before the voters this year.

“There are a lot of different views on marijuana,” DeSantis said. “It shouldn’t be in our Constitution. If you feel strongly about it, you have a legislative election. Bring back the candidates you think will be able to deliver what you think about it.”

“But when you put these things in the Constitution, and I think, I mean, the way they were written, there’s all kinds of things going on here. I think it’s going to have a lot of trouble getting passed by the Florida Supreme Court,” he said.

the last the initiative It was introduced to the secretary of state just months after initial versions failed in the November 2024 election, despite President Donald Trump’s endorsement.

Smart & Safe Florida expressed optimism that the revised version would be successful in 2026. The campaign — which received tens of millions of dollars from cannabis industry players in the last election cycle, notably from multi-state operator Trulieve — introduced some changes in the new version that address criticisms of the 2024 push by opponents.

For example, it now specifically states that “smoking and vaping marijuana in any public place is prohibited.” Another section states that the legislature should adopt rules governing the “time, place and public manner of consuming marijuana.”

In 2023, the governor accurately predicted this The campaign’s 2024 cannabis measure would survive a legal challenge From the state attorney general. It’s not entirely clear why he thinks this version will face a different outcome.

Although there is uncertainty about how the state’s highest court will navigate the measure, a poll released last February It showed the overwhelming support of a bipartisan voter for reform— 67% of Florida voters support legalization, including 82% of Democrats, 66% of independents and 55% of Republicans.

—
It’s Marijuana Time tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelic and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters by pledging at least $25/month, you’ll get access to our interactive maps, charts, and audio calendars so you never miss a development.

Learn more about our marijuana bill tracking and become a Patreon supporter to gain access
—

In the background, a recent survey by a Trump-linked research firm found this Nearly 9 in 10 Florida voters say they should have the right to decide whether to legalize marijuana in the state

Meanwhile, last week, Florida senators passed an amended bill to increase the amount of medical marijuana a registered patient can purchase and reduce the fee for medical cannabis identification cards for military veterans.

The vote was approved by the Regulated Industries Committee in the Senate separate legislation to prohibit the smoking or vaping of marijuana in public places. Rep. Alex Andrade (R) sponsors a similar one bill to ban public smoking of cannabis at home

Here’s an overview of some of the pending Florida marijuana bills:

Photo elements courtesy of the user rawpixel and Philip Steffan.

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Nascent medical cannabis industry aims for growth

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8 hours ago

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April 18, 2026

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The medicinal cannabis sector is struggling to take root, and another specialist processing plant is set to close. But with current regulations and a new collective industry in mind, New Zealanders are promising to reduce their reliance on imported medicinals.

There was great excitement when medicinal cannabis was legalized and then regulated in 2020, with the hope of growing the domestic sector and serving patients here and abroad. However, since then, several companies have closed their doors, including Greenfern Industries, Cannasouth and, most recently, Helius Therapeutics.

The latter plans to close the East Tāmaki plant, affecting 65 workers. It is one of the few medicinal cannabis factories in the entire nation that has a specialized processing certificate called “Good Manufacturing Practice” (GMP).

Medical Cannabis Council executive director Sally King said that under current rules, most growers did not have such certification, and could only sell raw ingredients, not processed products such as more profitable cannabis capsules.

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Medical Marijuana Helps People Stop Using Opioids, Sleeping Aids And Other Prescription Drugs, Study Shows

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9 hours ago

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April 17, 2026

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Using medical marijuana appears to help reduce the use of other medications, including opioids, sleep aids and antidepressants, according to a new study of more than 3,500 patients. They experience far fewer negative side effects after switching from prescription drugs to cannabis.

The survey results show that across all medication categories, patients were able to reduce their use of other prescription drugs by an average of 84.5 percent after starting to use medical cannabis.

More than half of the patients (58.9 percent) completely stopped using other prescription drugs.

The study, conducted and published by medical cannabis and telehealth company Bloomwell, conducted an online survey of 3,528 patients in Germany last month.

“Through the use of medical cannabis, patients were able to reduce their use of other prescription medications by an average of 84.5% across all categories.”

93.4 percent of patients taking sleeping pills were able to cut their use in half after starting medical marijuana, and 75.5 percent were able to get off the medication completely.

For methylphenidate, an ADHD drug sold under the name Ritalin, 77.3 percent of medical marijuana patients stopped completely.

61 percent of patients who were previously dependent on opioids were able to stop completely with the help of medical marijuana.

Stopping the use of prescription drugs led to a significant reduction in drug-related side effects, with 60.7 percent reporting no longer experiencing them.

“These patient reports demonstrate that in many cases, in addition to the treatment of the actual symptoms, one of the key reasons for an individual therapeutic trial with medical cannabis is the absence or reduction of medication-related side effects,” the study concluded.

“60.7% of patients reported no longer experiencing medication-related side effects from using medical cannabis.”

There were positive side effects, however, with 67.8 percent saying medical cannabis helped them concentrate better, 61.9 percent said it helped them foster more social relationships, and 53.9 percent experienced fewer sick days from work.

“The primary reason for prescribing medicinal cannabis, in addition to treating symptoms, is to reduce or avoid the side effects of other medications,” Julian Wichmann, Bloomwell’s founder and CEO, said in a press release. “For example, anyone who can completely stop opioids using medical cannabis has a good chance of going about their daily lives and working without side effects.”

“So we shouldn’t demand restrictions on access to medical cannabis, but rather make sure doctors are willing to do an individual therapeutic trial with medical cannabis, or at least recommend it and refer patients to their colleagues,” he said. “At the same time, our survey shows that we should finally discuss the great benefits of medical cannabis more openly, instead of only warning about the empirically unproven risks and discrediting the flower.”

This is not the first study to position medical cannabis as a safer alternative to opioids and other prescription drugs.

About One in three Americans who use CBD say they take it as an alternative or supplement to at least one medication—especially painful ones—according to a federally funded study published in February.

Also, a recent federally funded study, published by the American Medical Association (AMA), added further evidence Marijuana can be an effective substitute for opioids in the treatment of chronic pain.

Other studies published by the AMA have found legalizing marijuana for medical or recreational purposes “Significantly associated with reduced opioid use among patients diagnosed with cancer.”

A separate paper published in October also found that Legalizing medical marijuana “is associated with a significant reduction in opioid prescriptions.”

In August, however, Australian researchers published a study that shows this Marijuana can be an effective substitute for opioids in pain management treatment.

Another study published last year in the journal Drug and Alcohol Review found that daily drug users with chronic pain cannabis use was associated with greater likelihood of opioid cessation-Especially among men.

Other studies also found this legalizing medical cannabis appears to have significantly reduced payments to doctors from opioid manufacturers who specialize in pain, the authors found that “this reduction is a consequence of the availability of medical marijuana as a substitute” for prescription analgesics.

Other recent studies also showed a decline in fatal opioid overdoses in jurisdictions where marijuana was legalized for adults. That research found a ‘consistent negative relationship’ between legalization and fatal overdoses, effects more pronounced in states that legalized cannabis earlier in the opioid crisis. The authors estimated that legalizing recreational marijuana “is associated with a decrease of 3.5 deaths per 100,000 people.”

“Our findings suggest that expanding access to recreational marijuana could help combat the opioid epidemic,” the report said. “Prior studies overwhelmingly indicate that marijuana (especially for medical use) can reduce opioid prescriptions, and we see it successfully reducing overdose deaths as well.”

Another recently published report on prescription opioid use in Utah follows the state legalizing medical marijuana found that the availability of legal cannabis reduced opioid use among chronic pain patients and helped reduce prescription drug overdose deaths across the state. Overall, the study’s results indicated that “cannabis plays a significant role in pain management and reducing opioid use,” he said.

President Donald Trump said in December that marijuana can “make people feel a lot better.” and serves as a “substitute for addictive and potentially deadly opioid painkillers.” issued an executive order to federally regulate cannabis and promote access to CBD for therapeutic purposes. He clarified, however, that he personally has no interest in using marijuana himself.

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More employees mobilize with UFCW

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1 day ago

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April 17, 2026

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United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 360 has announced that more cannabis workers in New Jersey are joining its union family. Workers at Hamilton, New Jersey-based cannabis product manufacturer Sun Extractions chose to unionize with Local 360 for the better wages, benefits and benefits that come with a union contract.

Their decision adds to the growing momentum of UFCW Local 360’s Cannabis Workers Rising campaign, which has helped shape statewide labor standards and increase worker, consumer and community safety in New Jersey’s fledgling legal marijuana industry.

“New Jersey’s cannabis industry is stronger today thanks to this vote by Sun Extractions workers,” said Hugh Giordano, UFCW Local 360 Organizing Director. “Sustainable success for companies, workers and communities starts with fair treatment, strong standards and shared commitments. This is how jobs in the cannabis industry become long-term careers, and the future these workers work for.”

“It’s great that this vote is being announced before 4/20,” Giordano added. “4/20 used to be about the plant, but it has become a holiday that celebrates the entire cannabis community and recognizes the workers who grow, cut, pack, package, advise and distribute our cannabis products. Their hard work is why New Jersey’s medical and adult markets are safe and growing, and why sales are on target to exceed $2 billion this year.”

UFCW Local 360 President Sam Ferraino, Jr. emphasized that the Sun Extractions vote is part of a growing push to improve worker protections and benefits in the legal marijuana industry.

“We have more reasons than ever to celebrate 4/20 this year. We welcome the employees of Sun Extractions to the Local 360 family, seeing the hard work of our members move an entire industry forward, and speaking to other states, looking to New Jersey as a model of how to do it,” said Ferraino. “It’s further proof of what we always say: stronger unions mean stronger industries and communities. And that’s worth celebrating.”

For more than a decade, UFCW Local 360 has been at the forefront of efforts to ensure that New Jersey’s cannabis industry offers fair wages, strong job protections and real advancement opportunities. Thousands of cannabis workers, from cultivation to retail, have joined the union since the Cannabis Workers Rising campaign began.

From seed to sale, UFCW is the national leader in organizing workers in the cannabis industry and is the official cannabis union of the AFL-CIO. In the US, UFCW works with workers and business owners to achieve the shared goal of a regulated cannabis industry that provides family-supporting jobs and promotes social equity.

For more information:
UFCW
www.ufcw.org

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