Marijuana

Acquiring a medical marijuana license, setting up facilities and securing dispensary locations costs tens of millions of dollars. Meanwhile, hemp retailers can set up shop faster, easier and cheaper.

The contributions during the first three months of 2025 went to the Smart & Safe Florida committee, which is gathering signatures to get a revised constitutional amendment on the 2026 ballot.

Green Thumb Industries, which wants to sell cannabis next to convenience stores in Florida, has filed an appeal after an administrative law judge ruled against it, siding with state health regulators.

The revamped proposal from the Smart & Safe Florida committee seeks to address issues raised by Gov. Ron DeSantis, who led a drive to defeat last year’s constitutional measure.

The ballot measure would have allowed companies that already grow and sell medical marijuana to sell it to adults above 21 for any reason.

Florida’s election will test whether the state maintains its new reputation as a Republican stronghold, as Democrats count on turnout for abortion rights and recreational marijuana ballot questions.

The Florida Chapter of American Academy of Pediatrics opposes Amendment 3, which would legalize recreational marijuana for adults 21 and older, citing an increase in cases of emergency care among children since medical marijuana was approved in 2016.

Trulieve, a major medical cannabis distributor, has contributed more than $92 million to the Smart & Safe Florida political committee, which is pushing for passage of Amendment 3 in November.

Ken Griffin has given $12 million to an effort to defeat a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow recreational use of marijuana in Florida. The CEO of the firm Citadel, announced the contribution in an opinion piece in the Miami Herald.

Under Amendment 3, adults 21 years or older will be allowed to possess, purchase, or use marijuana products for non-medical reasons.

In all, Trulieve had contributed about $60.39 million to the committee as of July 19, according to a state Division of Elections database.

A Supreme Court decision to decriminalize possession of marijuana for personal use makes Brazil one of the last countries in Latin America to do so and possibly reduce its massive prison population.