On Nov. 5, Florida voters can vote on a list of six amendments on the Election Ballot. Amendment 3 and Amendment 4 are centered around two topics– the right to recreational marijuana and the right to an abortion.
Amendment 3 discusses the legalization of recreational marijuana. The amendment would allow adults 21 years or older to possess up to three ounces of marijuana for non-medical personal consumption. It also would allow Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers and other state licensed entities to sell and distribute such marijuana products and accessories.
The amendment was citizen-initiated and if passed, Florida would join the 24 states that already allow for recreational marijuana.
According to The James Madison Institute, a non-profit, nonpartisan group based in Florida, “This legalization enables personal consumption and private cultivation of marijuana for sale, requiring a state license to do so. It allows those 21 and older to purchase and consume cannabis without a doctor’s recommendation.”
Voting no would retain the current marijuana law for the state, which allows for its consumption and sale for medical purposes only.
The amendment has pros and cons that voters can analyze before deciding.
If legalized, marijuana businesses and increased sales from a new recreational market could add to tax revenues, which could fund other initiatives that benefit Floridians. However, The James Madison Institute said recreational marijuana will reduce overall productivity in the classroom and workplace.
Another concern is that the legalization of marijuana could lead to greater drug abuse in Florida. This is something that sophomore Danielle Freitas is concerned about after seeing the effects of the legalization of marijuana in her home state Connecticut.
“Honestly, I wouldn’t vote for it just because of what happened in Connecticut,” Freitas said. “They allowed it and a lot of people have been driving under the influence and it’s been causing a lot of reckless driving.”
Junior Julian Cintron thinks differently.
“I think a lot of times it’s a good thing to legalize it because it decriminalizes it,” he said. “So, in broad strokes, a harmless thing can’t be criminalized when they’re not devoting so many resources to catching marijuana cases and devoting more resources to cracking down on more harmful drugs and more harmful issues.”
If passed, Amendment 3 can be enacted in statute by the Florida Legislature and does not require a constitutional amendment to address.
Amendment 4 discusses the right to an abortion.
The Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade legalized abortion in the United States before being overturned in 2022 in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization Supreme Court case. The court ruled that the right to abortion was “not deeply rooted in this nation’s history or tradition.”
This overturn left it up to each state to decide how they wanted to approach the right to an abortion for their residents.
The citizen-initiated amendment aims to establish a constitutional right to an abortion before fetal viability (23-24 weeks) or when a healthcare provider deems it necessary for the safety of a mother.
The James Madison Institute explains that “Supporters argue that such a ballot measure is crucial to guarantee Floridians’ right to an abortion.”
Florida’s current abortion law sets abortion as legal only within the first six weeks of pregnancy. However, many supporters of Amendment 4 see it as a way to expand and protect that right.
Others find that the amendment is not necessary to enshrine a right to abortion into the state constitution since the state legislature can regulate the procedure. The amendment would also allow abortions to protect a patient’s health determined by a healthcare provider, without any restriction on when that determination could occur.
When asked about the amendment, Freitas was unsure where she stood.
“I feel like it’s a woman’s body, so she should be able to decide whatever is comfortable for her situation,” she said. “However, there are religious views, too. I don’t know, my opinions are very mixed.”
Others, like freshman Mackenzie Strauss, fully support Amendment 4.
“I think women should be able to get an abortion,” Strauss said. “I don’t think the law we have in place now is fair to women, especially, because it could cause health problems and illnesses if the baby is causing it.”
Similar to Amendment 3, Amendment 4 does not require a constitutional amendment to change the current law.
All amendments require a 60% voting majority to pass.
