A legalization marketing campaign just lately launched by Good & Secure Florida has garnered the help of medical hashish firm Trulieve and Grammy-nominated nation music group, The Bellamy Brothers. Trulieve has donated $5 million to the trouble that would result in a measure on the 2024 ballots.
In keeping with Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers, legalization is all about entry. “We got here into this with a mission to offer entry to high-quality merchandise which might be protected and have an applicable worth proposition to offer of us management over their—within the unique days—medical journey,” Rivers advised Information Service of Florida. “I don’t assume that modifications right here. I imply, in impact we’re at our core about increasing the chance for entry to protected authorized product, which is what this may enable us to proceed to do.”
If handed, the modification would legalize hashish for leisure use for anybody 21 or older. This consists of “possession, buy, or use of marijuana and marijuana equipment for non-medical private consumption by smoking, ingestion, or in any other case.”
It might additionally alter the state’s present “medical marijuana therapy facilities” to “purchase, domesticate, course of, manufacture, promote and distribute such merchandise and equipment.” As of 2016, Florida requires that these companies be vertically built-in, which means they need to management every thing from cultivation to retail gross sales. In keeping with WJCT News, this prevents smaller entrepreneurs from getting into the trade.
Lastly, ought to voters approve this measure, it might nonetheless enable legislators to take part in shaping laws. “Any modification within the state of Florida needs to be very cautious by way of single topics with this courtroom and so I do know, talking with the attorneys, that there was a really excessive deal with preserving this actually targeted round authorizing grownup use after which permitting the Legislature to develop coverage,” stated Rivers.
The measure additionally has the help of Good & Secure Florida political committee head and musician David Bellamy, of the musical duo The Bellamy Brothers. The nation group members are Florida natives who’ve beforehand partnered with Trulieve to create a line of hashish merchandise.
“As we journey the nation, we see the advantages of grownup use and as Florida residents we love the ‘freedom state’ moniker and consider that Florida wants to hitch the hundreds of thousands of People whose adults are free to make use of hashish with out worry of being incarcerated,” the duo advised WJCT News in an email.
A special legalization initiative from the political committee Wise Florida, which proposed to manage hashish like alcohol, was rejected in June 2021 by the Florida Supreme Courtroom. One other initiative was rejected in April 2021 as properly.
Regardless of these hurdles, Rivers is assured that Trulieve attorneys have analyzed these earlier makes an attempt to study from the previous. “Each initiative has supplied some stage of studying,” Rivers stated. “With this initiative, the authors have taken a tough take a look at the Supreme Courtroom rulings surrounding the earlier efforts and brought that into consideration. We consider it’s a really applicable and narrowly targeted modification that does defer appropriately to the Legislature.”
In comparison with earlier makes an attempt to legalize hashish in Florida, Rivers believes that Trulieve’s sturdy help of medical hashish sufferers might assist get the phrase out about this new initiative. “One of many fascinating features right here is that we do have (a) medical-cannabis market and we’ve got lots of of hundreds of sufferers in Florida who’re using medical hashish recurrently. So our means to achieve out and to have extra direct communication…is a bit distinctive from a positioning perspective,” Rivers concluded.
However in response to Rivers, Florida is dwelling to many ardent advocates keen to assist out. “Whereas we’re glad to offer funding, we additionally do consider that there are a variety of of us who’re very obsessed with this and I anticipate to have an incredible engagement throughout the group,” she added.
Advocates like The Bellamy Brothers, who consider that legalization in Florida is a step towards ending non-violent hashish convictions. “We see it day-after-day and listen to it from everybody we converse with, that the thought of placing adults in jail and ruining their lives for utilizing hashish is loopy. We’ve got additionally learn the polls and see constant and robust help for an effort to permit adults to make use of hashish,” The Bellamy Brothers wrote.