Florida was considered a battleground state for recreational marijuana during the last election cycle. It was believed that successfully passing a recreational marijuana amendment in the Sunshine State would have a domino effect on other states. The amendment failed, and now it appears that support for recreational marijuana is waning in Florida.
Is it a sign of the times? Is Florida’s waning support an indication of falling support across the country? It is too soon to say, but it would appear that the general public is beginning to rethink its support for unregulated marijuana consumption.
What Happened in Florida
Florida voters approved medical cannabis in 2016 at a rate of 71%. It took two election cycles to get the amendment pushed through. Almost immediately, marijuana proponents began working on legalizing recreational consumption.
In Florida, a 60% supermajority is required to change the state constitution. The 2024 vote was close, but not close enough. Support for the amendment topped out at 55.9%. Since then, it has actually fallen to 53%. This, despite the fact that an estimated $150 million was spent on trying to convince Florida voters to pass the 2024 amendment.
The Florida Chamber of Commerce attributes falling support in the state to education. A Chamber representative told the Hemp Gazette that “the more voters learn about legalizing recreational marijuana, the less they like what they learn.”
Support for Medical Cannabis Remains Strong
Despite recreational marijuana’s defeat in Florida, support for medical cannabis remains strong around the country. According to the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), an estimated 90% of U.S. adults support legalizing medical cannabis nationwide.
Medical cannabis is essentially marijuana utilized for medical purposes, and marijuana is still a Schedule I controlled substance under federal law. That makes it illegal. Washington could legalize medical cannabis by moving marijuana to Schedule III. That would make it legal for medical purposes but still illegal for uncontrolled recreational use.
As for the states, support for both medical and recreational marijuana varies. More than three-dozen states have approved medical cannabis. More than a dozen have given the green light to recreational marijuana.
Like Florida, Utah is a medical-only state. The operators of the medical cannabis dispensary Beehive Farmacy in Salt Lake City say that voters approved a medical cannabis proposition in 2018. Lawmakers have no plans at this time to entertain recreational marijuana.
Recreational Use and Public Opinion
MPP data suggests that more than two-thirds of U.S. adults support making cannabis legal across the board. This implies recreational consumption alongside medical. So to understand why recreational marijuana failed in Florida – and would probably fail in Utah – you have to look at the cultures in both states.
Flora and Utah are both highly conservative. On the other hand, states like California and Colorado are highly liberal. The fact that marijuana is regulated at the state level explains why a nationwide poll can show support for recreational consumption while certain states have trouble passing recreational voter propositions and amendments.
That said, a growing body of research suggests that marijuana may not be as harmless as once thought. One of the most recent studies shows a clear link between excessive marijuana use and cognitive decline. It could be that Americans are rethinking their positions on unregulated marijuana as more scientific knowledge comes out.
Is the recent vote in Florida a harbinger of things to come? Only time will tell. If it is, I would be willing to bet that waning support for recreational marijuana is due to a combination of emerging science and the politics of at all.
