In a split decision on Monday, the Florida Supreme Court ruled that voters can decide this fall on whether to legalize medical marijuana in Florida.
The amendment passed 4-3, where the justices were asked to rule on whether the proposed language of the citizens’ initiative met constitutional standards. Rejecting arguments from political leaders such as Attorney General Pam Bondi, who challenged the bill summary arguing that its language would mislead voters into allowing a widespread use of marijuana in Florida, the court decided it’s legal to put the question to voters.
Justices Barbara Pariente, Fred Lewis, Peggy Quince and James Perry ruled in favor of the medical marijuana amendment. Chief Justice Ricky Polston, Justices Charles Canady and Jorge Labarga voted in favor of striking the medical marijuana amendment from the ballot.
“I agree with Chief Justice Polston and Justice Labarga that the proposed amendment should be denied placement on the ballot because the ballot summary is clearly and conclusively misleading. One of the most important rights enjoyed by the people of Florida under our constitution is the right to vote on constitutional amendments proposed through the initiative process. That right and the initiative process are subverted when the voters are presented a misleading ballot summary,” Justice Canady said during the hearing.
However, even with dissenting opinions from Canady, Polston and Labarga, the Supreme Court came to the final decision of placing the medical marijuana amendment on the ballot.
“We conclude that the proposed amendment has a logical and natural oneness of purpose—namely, whether Floridians want a provision in the state constitution authorizing the medical use of marijuana, as determined by a licensed Florida physician, under Florida law,” the court majority wrote.
Elections supervisors certified that the medical marijuana petition reached 710,508 signatures more than the 683,149 needed for it to reach the ballot.
