Donations spike after Florida Supreme Court allows recreational marijuana on the 2024 ballot

Trulieve, the state’s largest medical-marijuana operator, pumped $40 million into the committee before the Supreme Court ruled Monday that the measure met constitutional muster. The Trulieve money went primarily toward collecting needed petition signatures.

The court’s 5-2 opinion gave the go-ahead for the measure to appear as Amendment 3 on the November ballot, and more medical-marijuana operators are jumping on board the recreational weed train.

Smart & Safe Florida announced Wednesday it had collected another $15 million to kick off the next phase of the pro-pot campaign.

“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, of the musical group The Bellamy Brothers, said in a statement.

The committee faces a deadline next week for filing a finance report showing contributions through March 31. So if the additional money came in after the Supreme Court ruling, it could be a while before details emerge about exactly who gave what, and how much they gave.

But a Smart & Safe Florida news release said reports “will soon show a broad group of companies” are giving some green for the effort, including medical-marijuana operators Verano Holdings Corp., Curaleaf Holdings, Inc, AYR Wellness, Inc., Cresco Labs. Inc., Green Thumb Industries, Inc., and INSA, Inc.

In a separate news release, Verano --- the state’s second-largest medical-marijuana company --- declared its support for the effort.

“Verano and Florida’s constituents are primed to benefit should Amendment 3 pass this November. As one of the nation’s leading cannabis companies with operations in 13 states, 138 dispensaries and 14 cultivation and production facilities, Verano has deep experience transitioning from medical to adult use, most recently in Maryland (July ’23) and Connecticut (January ’23),” the company’s release said.

As with other proposed constitutional changes, Amendment 3 would require 60 percent voter approval for passage --- an expensive and difficult hurdle for many ballot initiatives. The Smart & Safe Florida committee had spent all of the $40 million contributed by Trulieve as of Dec. 31, the last publicly available finance information.

“We have come a long way, but our work has only just begun,” the committee’s news release said.