Florida goes to the cannabis polls

FLORIDA
Polling in Florida shows DeSantis’ opposition not impacting support

Driving the news: Florida voters will head to the polls in November to vote on Amendment 3, a measure to legalize adult use cannabis. New polling from the University of North Florida shows that support for the measure — which needs 60% to pass — is still showing strong support, polling at 64%. 

The background: From the moment Gov. Ron DeSantis stepped off the presidential campaign earlier in the year, he put his considerable political weight behind the “no” effort on Amendment 3. He then used his political influence to get the state Republican Party to oppose the measure. 

Most recently, DeSantis vetoed a bill to regulate hemp in Florida ostensibly to get the hemp industry’s help to fight cannabis legalization. (And the hemp industry complied, by pledging $5 million to fight the measure). 

Why it matters: DeSantis, Florida Republicans, and the hemp industry are finding themselves on the opposite side of a vast majority of voters on cannabis legalization. 

Yes, the cannabis industry — most notably Trulieve, which recently chipped in another $5 million —  has poured money into the legalization effort, but even in the earliest days of the campaign, polling was at or near the 60% threshold. 

It’s also interesting that Floridians support Trump over Harris, yet seem to want legalization and abortion rights protected. 

What’s next? In politics, Labor Day is often seen as the unofficial kickoff of the campaign season, especially for “low information” voters. 

A key measure of the success of both the yes and no campaigns on Amendment 3 will be polling that comes out in September. How will voters that do not yet understand the measure break as the campaign winds down? 

Time will tell.

-JR

“She was a bad prosecutor. She was a prosecutor of Black people,” Former President Donald Trump told Fox News. “She put thousands and thousands of Black people in jail over marijuana. But when it came to big crime — murders and everything else — she was weak.”

Trump, the Republican nominee, attacked Vice President Kamala Harris over her record as a California prosecutor. But Harris supports cannabis reform — calling for full decriminalization during her 2020 campaign, hosting a roundtable on cannabis reform at the White House, and pushing through scheduling reform — while Trump’s Administration rolled back federal protections for cannabis companies. 

We’ll see if he continues to push this angle as an attack and force Republicans to adopt cannabis reform as an issue. Journalists will have an easy time combing through Trump’s record and pushing back, however.

Nebraska looking to tax “consumable hemp” 🍴

In an effort to offset property taxes in Nebraska, one Republican lawmaker is suggesting a 30% tax on consumable hemp. Also, it’s important to note that Nebraska has neither medical or adult-use cannabis — although some legislators are trying to change that. Read more. 

Studying cannabis warning labels ⚠️

The National Institute on Drug Abuse, a federal agency, has allocated almost $3 million to study warning labels for cannabis products. Unlike cigarettes, the federal illegality of cannabis means no standards exist for cannabis warning labels. Read more.

Ohio continues to license but not open yet ⌚

While Ohio regulators continue to license medical operators up and down the supply chain, with the exception of dispensaries, recreational sales have still not kicked off. Read more. 

Germany cultivated licenses issued 🇩🇪

Three new licenses have been issued in Germany to support their nascent recreational market. Read more. 

Mercer Park, a special purpose acquisition company, announced the completion of its initial public offering of $200 million and will list shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange. The company is run by Jon Sandelman, the founder of cannabis company Ayr Wellness, and will focus on US cannabis deals. Investment bank Canaccord Genuity advised on the deal. 

Uber Eats is expanding its cannabis delivery service to Alberta starting July 30, the company announced. 

Verne Bio is partnering with Neatleaf for genetic and pathogen testing for cannabis growers.

The University of North Florida conducted a poll about November 2024 ballot measures, including abortion, the presidential election, and cannabis. 

Support for cannabis legalization is about 64%, with 5% undecided. 

A new study published in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research found that cosmetic products purported to contain CBD were often inaccurately labeled — with some products containing no CBD at all.

This Reddit Ask-Me-Anything (AMA) from an anonymous cannabis business owner tells the story of the industry.

It’s worth a read.

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