The fight to legalize marijuana in Florida took another turn on Monday when Florida Sen. Dwight Bullard submitted a bill that would legalize recreational marijuana in the state.
In November, Amendment 2 for medical marijuana in Florida received 58 percent of the vote, falling just below the 60 percent needed to pass. Bullard’s bill takes it a step further, detailing recreational marijuana to be regulated and taxed in the state.
The 50-page long marijuana bill, SB 1176, would authorize people over the age of 21 to possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana for recreational use. Under the bill, the Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco would be renamed Division of Alcoholic Beverages, Marijuana and Tobacco.
The bill goes into great detail of the tax changes that would occur if passed.
The bill calls for ten percent of the revenues derived from retail tobacco products dealer permit fees to be transferred to the Department of Education to provide teacher training and research to reduce the use of tobacco by children.
The bill also calls for five percent of the tax on recreational marijuana to be transferred to the Department of Health for the purpose of producing peer-reviewed research on marijuana uses and safety until Jan. 1, 2024.
Last year, Bullard submitted a similar bill that never received a committee hearing.
