The Florida Supreme Court is declining a marijuana group’s request to weigh in on state officials’ efforts to keep recreational pot off the ballot.
Smart and Safe Florida asked the court Feb. 16 to review state directives that it said created roadblocks to getting signatures needed to get the proposal onto the state’s 2026 midterm ballot.
But the state’s highest court declined on March 9.
Justices didn’t give a reason as to why they won’t hear arguments, but made their position clear: “No motion for rehearing will be entertained by the Court.”
This comes about a month after the Florida Supreme Court also decided against considering the ballot text of the marijuana initiative. That was after state officials said it didn’t meet signature requirements by the Feb. 1 deadline.
The marijuana group said that determination by the state was “premature.”
Smart and Safe Florida has filed multiple lawsuits and waged several battles against the state while trying to get its measure on the ballot, which would have legalized recreational pot for adults. It also was bearing the consequences of a new state law (HB 1205) imposing stricter penalties and deadlines for petition groups.
Smart and Safe Florida declined to comment on the court’s decision. But in its Feb. 16 filing, it asked justices to determine whether the state’s orders to Florida’s 67 supervisors of elections were lawful. Those led to more than 70,000 signatures being invalidated.
Of those, the state said nearly 42,000 petitions were signed by “inactive” voters and about nearly 28,000 were gathered by people who weren’t Florida residents. Signature gathering by nonresidents violates a new Florida law, which is currently being challenged in federal court and pending a federal judge’s ruling.
The office of Florida’s Attorney General did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but Attorney General James Uthmeier and Secretary of State Cord Byrd have been critics of recreational pot and have led the charge in ensuring the measure stays off the ballot.
“We are pleased that the Court declined to accept jurisdiction,” said Gretl Plessinger, a spokesperson for Byrd. “The case is now over.”
(This story was updated to add new information.)
This reporting content is supported by a partnership with Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners. USA Today Network-Florida First Amendment reporter Stephany Matat is based in Tallahassee, Fla. She can be reached at SMatat@gannett.com. On X: @stephanymatat.