The campaign to legalize recreational marijuana in Florida has attracted six new corporate sponsors, the group behind the bid to pass Amendment 3 announced on Wednesday. Smart & Safe Florida announced that the campaign has already raised $15 million from its new donors to support the effort, which would legalize cannabis for adults and authorize regulated sales of recreational weed. The Florida Supreme Court announced on Monday that it had approved the legalization initiative for the general election ballot, giving the state’s voters the opportunity to decide the issue.
“We are not only pleased that the court has agreed to move this initiative forward, but we are also thrilled to announce a strong alliance of committed donors to the effort,” Smart & Safe Florida chairman David Bellamy said in a statement from the group on Wednesday.
The new donors to the Florida marijuana legalization campaign are Verano Holdings Corp., Curaleaf Holdings, Inc, AYR Wellness, Inc., Cresco Labs. Inc., Green Thumb Industries, Inc., and Insa, Inc. All six companies have licensed cannabis operations in multiple states where cannabis is legal including Florida, where medical marijuana has been legal since 2016.
Verano, one of the new supporters of the campaign to legalize weed in Florida, operates 74 MÜV-branded medical marijuana dispensaries in the state.
“Following the Florida Supreme Court’s affirmative ruling confirming Floridians’ democratic right and freedom to vote in support of Amendment 3, Verano and MÜV are proud to stand alongside cannabis leaders and advocates to inform, educate and collaborate on the countless economic, health and wellness benefits this incredible plant provides millions of Americans every day,” George Archos, CEO and founder of the company, said in a statement. “Florida has a chance to make history, and we’re thrilled to join Smart and Safe to drive positive lasting change in the Sunshine State.”
Until now, the Smart & Safe Florida campaign was almost entirely supported by Trulieve, the state’s largest medical marijuana provider. In a post on X, Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers acknowledged the new donors “for stepping up to donate to” the campaign “and joining the fight to increase access to cannabis for adults in Florida.”