The Florida Supreme Court decided against considering the ballot text of a proposed constitutional amendment for adult-use recreational marijuana, which the state says failed to meet signature requirements for the 2026 ballot.
The state elections website only lists 783,592 verified signatures for the marijuana petition. It needed 880,062.
On February 4, all of the Supreme Court Justices – except Jorge Labarga – signed the order canceling the oral argument and dismissing the case. While specific details of the dismissal were left out of the order, this deals a huge blow to the cannabis industry in failing to bring a recreational marijuana market to Florida.
The group argued that the state’s constitution reads that the court “shall” review ballot language, and that the result of pending lawsuits could give the ballot measure enough signatures to meet the state’s requirements, according to the Tallahassee Democrat. The court’s mandate is limited to ensuring the ballot summary and title are clear and not misleading, and comply with the state’s single-subject requirement.
“From my perspective as a soon-to-be MMTC operator actively preparing to enter the Florida market, this moment reinforces a few important realities: Florida’s cannabis framework is already one of the most regulated in the country, and any expansion—whether medical or adult-use—will require careful implementation, strong compliance infrastructure and clear guardrails,” says Jasmine Johnson, CEO of GŪD Essence. “For operators building now, the focus remains on serving patients responsibly, investing in compliant facilities and planning for multiple possible regulatory outcomes rather than assuming a single path forward.”
This legal showdown underscores broader tensions in state policy and direct democracy as advocacy groups push for cannabis reform while facing tightened procedural scrutiny and court-mandated signature standards.
