Florida petition restrictions become focus of class-action lawsuit filed by recreational cannabis advocates

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - A group is suing the state of Florida to get recreational marijuana on the 2020 ballot.

They're called "Make it Legal Florida" and members say the state is imposing unnecessary roadblocks on a petition to let voters decide in November. 

As reported by WINK out of Fort Myers, the class action lawsuit centers on a law signed last spring that placed additional restrictions on gathering signatures. Specifically, the pro-cannabis group argues that the February 1 deadline for their petition is getting undercut by the fact that county supervisors need a 30-day window to verify and report signatures beforehand. The stipulation effectively pushes the deadline up to January 2. 

The court filing argues that the law is unconstitutional and Make it Legal Florida says that problems with a state database are hurting its efforts to get recreational marijuana on the ballot. If the proposed constitutional amendment does make it into voting booths come November, voters would decide whether adults 21 and older could have as much as 2.5 ounces of marijuana for personal use. 

The group wants more time to get the signatures necessary for a vote. It needs more than 766,000 validated signatures to get the measure on the November ballot. As of this week, the state reports having less than a third that many.