Florida Supreme Court refuses to review legalization lawsuit

The fight for cannabis reform in Florida just hit another roadblock — but this movement isn’t going anywhere.

On March 9, the Florida Supreme Court refused to review the invalidation of up to 72,000 signatures for the 2026 adult-use legalization initiative. That means the measure will not appear on the ballot.

Despite collecting 1.4 million signatures, the state’s Division of Elections only counted 783,592 as valid — well below the 880,062 required. Even more troubling, this ruling came before courts could hear lawsuits challenging the rejection of more than a quarter-million signatures. Eight of the nine justices on the Court were appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis, who has consistently stood in the way of reform.

This isn’t the first time state officials have stacked the deck. In 2024, the administration used $10 million in opioid settlement funds to fight cannabis legalization — a misuse of taxpayer money so outrageous the state had to reimburse the federal government.

And now, as the Legislature wraps up its session, not a single cannabis reform measure has reached the governor’s desk, including HB 887, which would have cut medical cannabis ID card fees for veterans from $75 to $15. The House passed it 113–0, but the Senate refused to even grant it a hearing.

Enough is enough.

This November, Florida voters will elect a new governor, cabinet, state legislators, and members of Congress. If we want meaningful cannabis reform, we must make sure every candidate knows we won’t be ignored. Make sure that your voice as a cannabis policy advocate is heard in the primaries (August 18) as well as on Election Day (November 3). Before the election, reach out to candidates to ask where they stand.

Together, we’ve come too far to stop now. The road to legalization in Florida runs through the 2026 election — and it starts with us.

Let’s keep building pressure and keep hope alive.