Florida may vote to legalize cannabis in November. Hawaii won't.

Last Monday, the Florida Supreme Court ruled 5-2 not to prevent an initiative to legalize recreational cannabis from appearing on the ballot in next November's elections.

Last year, and by 2020, Florida activists had succeeded in collecting enough valid signatures for a cannabis legalization initiative to be placed on the ballot. The Attorney General had on occasion ruled that the summary of the proposed initiative was misleading or that the initiative violated the state constitution's single-purpose rule for ballot measures, by failing to specify that cannabis remained illegal at the federal level.

Reports emerged in January, however, suggesting that a number of key GOP donors have accumulated significant stakes in the state's medical cannabis industry, and are poised to profit from legalization if it occurs.

Florida is already the largest medical cannabis market in the US, with over 871,000 registered patients.

If the bill passes in November, the 25 medical cannabis companies currently licensed to grow medical cannabis will be able to start transferring their operations to the recreational market and selling to adults over 21.

Trulieve, which provided $39 million in funding for Florida's Smart & Safe campaign, said: «We are grateful to the Court for correctly ruling that the ballot initiative and text summary meet the standards of clarity and uniqueness of subject matter. We look forward to supporting this campaign as it heads to the ballot this November.».

Curaleaf, already well established in the state, also welcomed the decision: «We're thrilled to see the Florida Supreme Court add adult-use cannabis legislation to the November ballot. This could triple the size of the market in the state in the coming years, and Curaleaf is investing ahead of the conversion, with 25 new stores ready to open and an expanded culture to provide customers and patients with our full range of high-quality brands and products.»

Due to local election laws, the measure will need a majority of at least 60 % to pass in November.

Hawaii doesn't pass

The plans to legalize cannabis in Hawaii ended on Tuesday afternoon. In a statement, Democratic Rep. Kyle Yamashita, who chairs the House Finance Committee, announced that his group would not consider the legalization measure, SB 3335, until this week's legislative deadline.

This decision has the effect of killing the bill, which had already been adopted by the entire Senate and several House committees during this session, before narrowly passing a first House vote earlier this month.

«The path to legalizing cannabis for adult use is a deeply divisive issue,» said Yamashita. «Due to numerous concerns about the bill's implementation, the House has decided not to continue deliberations in its Finance Committee. This decision is reinforced by the negative votes cast by committee members in the House.»

Democratic House Speaker Scott Saiki, meanwhile, expressed the «grave concerns of Hawaii's law enforcement community».

«This bill requires a closer look at the impact it will have on our children, our economy and our overall well-being.»

As both supporters and opponents have pointed out, the last session saw the most progress on a legalization measure in the Hawaii legislature. But after narrowly passing the House of Representatives late last month by a vote of 25 to 23, many expected trouble in the Finance Committee.