Florida voters rejected a proposition that would legalize recreational marijuana in the state. Amendment 3 needed 60% of voters’ support to pass.
Both former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris advocated in favor of legalizing recreational marijuana while on the campaign trail.
Marijuana was on the ballot in four states: Florida, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota.
24 states and Washington, D.C., have fully legalized marijuana. Another 13 states have legalized medicinal use. Marijuana is still illegal at the federal level.
Senate Democrats introduced a bill that would not only legalize marijuana at the federal level, but expunge the records of Americans with non-violent offenses. That proposal has not gained much traction. However, there is a broader coalition that’s willing to allow marijuana dispensaries to access the federal banking system, which they can’t do currently because it’s illegal.
In May 2024, the Biden Administration formally moved to reschedule marijuana from a Schedule 1 drug to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act.
According to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Schedule I drugs have no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Those drugs include heroin, LSD and ecstasy. Schedule III drugs are those with a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence, including ketamine, anabolic steroids and testosterone.
A recent data analysis done for The New York Times found that nearly a third of all users – about 18 million people – have reported symptoms of cannabis use disorder, and about 3 million of them would be considered addicted to cannabis.
Proponents say legalization has economic benefits like increased tax revenues and job creation at the nearly 15,000 marijuana dispensaries around the country which create on average 6.2 jobs each, according to Investopedia.
