Last month, Floridians voted on Amendment 3, a measure to legalize the use of recreational marijuana in the state. Although the amendment garnered almost 56% of the vote, it was not enough to meet the 60% threshold set for ballot measures. Now, it’s up to the whim of the state Legislature to decide whether cannabis products can be legally bought and consumed by Florida adults.
As a native Floridian, I was ecstatic to see Amendment 3 on the ballot — but as a current Virginia resident, I wasn’t able to vote on this issue. So, I had a blunt conversation with my parents back home to understand what Florida voters were thinking when it came to legalizing weed.
My parents’ views diverge on this topic, giving me a clear picture of the key sentiments on both sides of the debate. One of my parents voted “No” on Amendment 3 and cited concerns about smelling marijuana in public and people driving high. The other, while no fan of weed, wanted to see the drug get taken off the black market and sold in dispensaries to mitigate the risk of bad actors tampering with products and to allow the state to reap the tax benefits for the public good.
While I can’t deny the potential drawbacks to legalization, those risks are outweighed by the benefits: a safer marketplace and millions of dollars in tax revenue for the state. We have years of evidence from states with successful established markets, like Colorado, Arizona and Nevada, that show the benefits of legalization. Florida should be able to realize those advantages, too.
Living near D.C., I understand the concern of constantly being assaulted by the smell of marijuana is not unfounded, but I would argue that this is only an issue in cities. My suburban parents likely won’t be faced with this issue.
The concern over an uptick in people driving high, however, should not be taken lightly. Every day, people make the selfish decision to drive under the influence — but banning the substance doesn’t solve the problem. Pot is currently illegal in Florida for recreational use, and the state criminalizes driving under the influence of THC, yet there were still marijuana-related DUIs. Prohibition fails to stop bad actors from making poor decisions.
Legalization is the best solution to keep Floridians safe and healthy, because a legal market is a regulable market. Full legalization is the best way to ensure the quality and safety of the products sold.
In 2014, Washington, D.C., took a different approach and only decriminalized the substance. It is legal to possess and consume limited amounts of marijuana, but it is illegal to sell or use the product in public. A “gifting” system was created to allow consumers to purchase a small item and be given a cannabis product in return. This “gray” market has led to the recent shut down of multiple illegally operating storefronts selling cannabis products laced with amphetamines. If D.C. were to have a regulated legal market like Florida voters considered, none of this would have happened.
The financial impacts of recreational legalization would be remarkable. It was estimated that the passage of Amendment 3 would have resulted in $195.6 million in sales tax revenue a year. By keeping marijuana in the black market, no taxes can be collected, and the state loses millions of dollars a year that could benefit the public.
The dangers that recreational legalization would erase, along with the revenue it would raise, far outweigh the potential risks that it could bring about. Decades of failed prohibition policies on a range of substances have shown us that people will consume what they want — legal or otherwise. Outlawing substances will push consumers to the black market, where they will inevitably stumble upon less safe products.
While Amendment 3 failed to pass, state lawmakers should consider the views of the nearly 6 million Floridians who voted for recreational legalization during their next legislative session. Legalizing marijuana for recreational use will require a joint effort across party lines in the state Legislature and will likely prove to be a difficult task. But to safeguard the health of Floridians and the prosperity of the state’s economy, cannabis products must be moved off the black market and into regulated storefronts.
Sofia Hamilton is a native Floridian currently working in the D.C. area as a policy analyst focused on health care issues. She is also a contributor with Young Voices. Her work has appeared in publications such as the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Washington Examiner and Reason Magazine.