A citizen-led ballot initiative aiming to bring medical marijuana to Florida has garnered enough signatures to qualify for the November ballot. Now it has one hurdle left: the Florida Supreme Court.
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi challenged the ballot language of the medical marijuana initiative, suggesting it misleads the public about what the referendum does. But Florida State University law professor and former American Bar Association President Sandy D’Alemberte says the court’s review of ballot initiatives is extremely narrow:
“They’re looking at whether or not the ballot itself is formulated in a way that’s easy to understand, not confusing, doesn’t say something not true in the amendment itself—and then the court reviews it to make sure it involves a single subject.”
D’Alemberte also says the court isn’t looking at whether an amendment proposal is constitutional under federal law. And he says that may be something Floridians want to consider changing—through a constitutional amendment.