ORLANDO, Fla. — Efforts to legalize recreational marijuana in Florida have encountered a significant setback.
The group behind the initiative, Smart and Safe Florida, decided not to appeal a judge’s ruling that invalidated 200,000 petition signatures.
This decision complicates the group’s ability to secure a spot for the amendment on the 2026 ballot, as they now face the challenge of collecting more than 880,000 verified signatures by the Feb. 1 deadline.
Smart and Safe Florida’s decision not to appeal the judge’s ruling means they must focus on gathering the remaining signatures needed to meet the threshold for the ballot.
The invalidation of 200,000 signatures by the judge has left the group significantly short of the required number, making their task more difficult.
The reasons behind the judge’s decision to invalidate the signatures have not been disclosed, leaving some uncertainty about the process.
Without the appeal, the group must redouble its efforts to collect valid signatures in a limited timeframe.
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