A UNF Poll Shows That 70% of Floridians Are In Favor of Letting People Use Marijuana For Fun

A new poll from the University of North Florida Public Opinion Research Lab shows that most Floridians support letting adults use marijuana for fun.

70% of the 1,452 people questioned in the UNF poll said they would “strongly” or “somewhat” support a law that would let people over 21 buy a small amount of marijuana for personal use. 29% of those who answered said they would “strongly” or “somewhat” disagree with the change.

In 2024, people in Florida might be able to vote on whether or not to make marijuana legal. The “Adult Personal Use of Marijuana” initiative passed its first legal test last month when supporters got enough valid signatures to qualify for a judicial and financial impact review. We are still waiting for the results of the review.

But cannabis supporters and those who want the measure to be on the ballot still have a long way to go. As of March 9, 2019, less than half of the 891,589 valid signatures needed to be on the 2024 ballot have been verified by election officials.

The measure was filed in August 2022 by the Smart & Safe Florida PAC. Almost all of the money for it comes from Trulieve, a multi-state cannabis company that runs more than 100 medical marijuana dispensaries in Florida.

ALSO READ: Weed With Your Booze: Pennsylvania Lawmakers Want To Sell Recreational Marijuana In State Stores

“If it gets on the ballot next year, which is a big “if,” it has a good chance of getting the 60% supermajority needed to pass,” said Dr. Michael Binder, PORL faculty director and professor of political science.

In 2018, a ballot measure led to the start of Florida’s medical marijuana program. The most recent attempt to put recreational marijuana on the ballot failed in 2021 when a judge in Florida said the amendment’s language was too vague.

Most likely, a ballot measure is the easiest way to change Florida’s constitution, but it’s not the only way. Sen. Victor Torres introduced a 135-page bill in the Florida Senate on March 3 that would make it legal for adults to use marijuana. Because of how the legislature is right now, it’s hard to say how likely it is that the bill will pass.