Fueled by the efforts of Governor Ron DeSantis, which included using taxpayer dollars to fight the proposal, Florida voters rejected Amendment 3, the proposed constitutional amendment to legalize recreational cannabis use for adults 21 and older, joining 24 other states.

North Dakota and South Dakota also held referendums on adult-use cannabis, which they voted on Tuesday.

The final vote in Florida was 56% to 44%, below the the 60% requirement for passage.

The Vote No on 3 campaign exulted over the amendment’s failure, today releasing the following statement from its advocacy director, Dr. Jessica Spencer.

“Even after spending more than $150 million – the largest amount on a drug legalization effort in American history – Florida residents saw through Amendment 3’s web of deception and defeated this stranglehold businesses,” Spencer said.

“We are grateful for the unwavering support of Florida’s Governor and First Lady, whose conviction, courage and fearlessness – even in the face of Big Weed’s unprecedented $150 million money bomb – has been unwavering. »

Smart & Safe Florida, the advocacy group pushing to pass the measure, has spent more than $120 million on its efforts, with most of it coming from Trulieve, the state’s largest medical marijuana company.

This largesse was ultimately not enough, because the amendment had to obtain support from 60% of the public, which only three other states than legalized recreational cannabis – Maryland, New Jersey and Arizona – have ever achieved.

The group released a statement following the measure’s failure.

“Tonight, a strong majority of Floridians voted to legalize recreational marijuana for adults. Although the results of Amendment 3 did not cross the 60% threshold, we look forward to working with the Governor and legislative leaders who agree with us on decriminalizing recreational marijuana for adults, on public consumption, on continuing our focus on child safety and on expanding access. to ensure the safety of marijuana through home cultivation.

“We want to express our sincere gratitude to the majority of Florida voters who voted yes on Amendment 3 and to all those who supported us in this effort. We remain committed to advocating for a smarter, safer Florida and will continue to work to find solutions that benefit all Floridians.

“Armed”

There was also the unprecedented level of government funding that supporters of the measure claim DeSantis was “weaponizing” against the measure. Smart and safe said As of late last month, a combination of 13,000 television ads, more than 5,000 radio ads, as well as digital and billboard ads across the state, totaled more than $50 million in state funds, according to his estimates.

DeSantis has recruited several heads of state agencies – including leaders from the Department of Juvenile Justice, the Department of Children and Families, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and the Department of Health – to join the effort against the weed proposal and freed up state resources against the measure.

The fact that a company financed much of the campaign to pass the measure was a key talking point that DeSantis focused on. He described it as the product of a “Big Weed” company more concerned with profiting from its own bottom line than helping Floridians — all in the hopes of keeping the margin of support for the measure below 60 %.