TALLAHASSEE, Jan 16 (Reuters) - Supporters of a medical marijuana constitutional amendment in Florida say they have collected enough voter signatures to put their proposal on the November ballot, joining a growing list of states revisiting drug laws.
Hundreds of thousands of petitions must still be verified by county election supervisors before a Feb. 1st deadline.
"It's going to be close, down to the wire," Ann McFall, the Volusia County supervisor of elections, said Thursday.
If the petition is approved by 60 percent of voters in November, Florida would become the first southern U.S. state to approve marijuana for medical use, joining 20 other states.
A Quinnipiac University Polling Institute survey late last year showed 82 percent public support for the amendment, if it gets on the ballot. A constitutional amendment in Florida requires 60 percent voter approval for adoption.
About 1.1 million voter signatures have been submitted to county officers across the state for verification, said Ben Pollara, campaign manager for United for Care, the organizers of the ballot initiative which is funded to the tune of more than $3 million by prominent Orlando trial lawyer John Morgan.
With a predicted invalidation rate of 25 percent, that would be more than enough to reach the 683,189 voter signatures required to put an issue on the ballot.
The Division of Elections has so far received only 470,056 certified signatures, and will have to validate at least 200,000 more before the deadline.
An additional challenge is the requirement that the amendment get signatures equal to 8 percent of the voter turnout in the past presidential election, in at least 14 congressional districts. That is meant to assure statewide demand for an amendment so that one corner of the state, such as Miami-Fort Lauderdale, does not put a locally popular issue like casino gambling on the statewide ballot every two years.
By Thursday, the marijuana amendment exceeded the requirement in only five congressional districts, mainly in the Miami-Dade and Broward County area, two Hillsborough-Pinellas County districts, and an Orlando-Daytona Beach-Jacksonville region.
The campaign was close in four other districts, needing 5,000 signatures or fewer, but Pollara expressed confidence about reaching the required total if counties get everything counted on time.
"We're going to be submitting another round of maybe 100,000 signatures today and tomorrow to the counties, which would give us numbers that will get 14 or 15 of these congressional districts," said Pollara. "We feel good about that. I've personally spoken with every supervisor of elections in the state and they're a great and committed group of officials. They're all committed to getting these counted and verified."
McFall said her staff is working through the weekend to verify petition signatures, but won't be working on the Monday holiday.
She said past batches of petitions have shown a fairly high washout rate of duplication, as well as voters who don't live in the districts where their petitions are submitted.
The Florida Supreme Court must also rule on a challenge to the wording of the amendment by the state. Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Republican leadership of the Legislature are against the amendment, which would allow licensed physicians to prescribe marijuana for debilitating medical conditions.
Bondi's office argued the wording is deceptive, possibly misleading voters to think state law can trump federal marijuana laws, and that the language is vague about defining when marijuana could be prescribed.
United for Care argued in court that the amendment clearly sets forth its intention and that physicians would not be allowed to prescribe pot for frivolous health complaints by patients. (Editing by David Adams and Nick Zieminski)
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.