Do you know about the 2024 Florida Amendments?
Florida voters will be faced with six constitutional amendment proposals on the Nov. 5 ballot. Each needs at least 60% of votes to be enshrined in the Florida Constitution.
Are you still unsure about what each amendment means and whether you're going to cast a "yes" or "no" vote? In this story, we highlight Amendment 3 to help you prepare for Election Day, which is from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024.
If you wanted to vote on the candidates and the six Florida Amendments ahead of time, early voting runs through Sunday, Nov. 3, with times and days varying by county.
Early voting: Here's when it starts in Florida, including time, date and by county
With less than two weeks until the election, if you’re still unsure about what Amendment 3 — the recreational marijuana amendment — means and whether you're going to cast a "yes" or "no" vote, we'll break it down for you.
In this story, we're highlighting Amendment 3, and we're offering the recommendations (when available) of the editorial boards of two Florida newspapers in the USA TODAY NETWORK and four other newspapers in the Sunshine State. Though Florida is home to almost two dozen newspapers, with 16 sites that are part of the USA TODAY Network, a small fraction of newspapers provide editorial board recommendations during U.S. general elections. However, each newspaper has covered the Florida amendments in the 2024 election with stories that explain what it means to their readers. Below is a list of newspapers here with links to their sites if you want to do further research on Amendment 3.
How many newspapers are in Florida?
Below is a list of Florida newspapers:
Daytona Beach News-Journal, news-journalonline.com
Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville, jacksonville.com
FLORIDA TODAY, which covers the Space Coast, floridatoday.com
Gainesville Sun, gainesville.com
(Fort Myers) News-Press, news-press.com
Miami Herald, miamiherald.com
Naples Daily News, naplesnews.com
Northwest Florida Daily News, nwfdailynews.com
Ocala Star-Banner, ocala.com
Orlando Sentinel, orlandosentinel.com
Palm Beach Daily News, palmbeachdailynews.com
Palm Beach Post, palmbeachpost.com
Panama City News-Herald, newsherald.com
Pensacola News Journal, pnj.com
St. Augustine Record, staugustine.com
South Florida Sun-Sentinel, sun-sentinel.com
Tallahassee Democrat, tallahassee.com
Tampa Bay Times/Tampa Tribune, tampabay.com
TCPalm or Treasure Coast Newspapers, which covers Martin County, St. Lucie County and Indian River County, tcpalm.com
Which Florida newspapers offer editorial board recommendations or Florida amendment endorsements?
For the 2024 general election, the editorial boards of six Florida newspapers offered recommendations — endorsements on how to vote — on the six Florida amendments on the ballot.
Miami Herald, miamiherald.com
Orlando Sentinel, orlandosentinel.com
Palm Beach Post, palmbeachpost.com
South Florida Sun-Sentinel, sun-sentinel.com
Tampa Bay Times/Tampa Tribune, tampabay.com
TCPalm or Treasure Coast Newspapers, which covers Martin County, St. Lucie County and Indian River County, tcpalm.com
2024 Florida Amendments: Amendment 3, adult personal use of marijuana or ‘recreational marijuana amendment’
Sponsor: Smart & Safe Florida
Summary: Allows adults 21 years or older to possess, purchase, or use marijuana products and marijuana accessories for non-medical personal consumption by smoking, ingestion, or otherwise; allows Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers, and other state licensed entities, to acquire, cultivate, process, manufacture, sell, and distribute such products and accessories. Applies to Florida law; does not change, or immunize violations of, federal law. Establishes possession limits for personal use. Allows consistent legislation. Defines terms. Provides effective date.
Florida Amendment 3 Vote yes or no on Florida Amendments? What Amendment 3, recreational marijuana proposal, means
Florida Amendment 3: TCPalm Editorial Board recommendation
TCPalm, also known as Treasure Coast newspapers, is part of the USA TODAY Network, covering Indian River County, Martin County and St. Lucie County in Florida.
TCPalm: NO RECOMMENDATION
The TCPalm Editorial Board has no recommendation on how to vote on Amendment 3.
Why: “Whether this should be a right guaranteed in the constitution or a statute passed by the Legislature is a matter of debate. Even more complex of an issue is whether making recreational marijuana legal would benefit our state as a whole. Given our focus on more local issues, we’ve decided not to spend a lot of time researching the intricacies of this one. We offer no recommendation.”
Florida Amendment 3: Palm Beach Post Editorial Board recommendation
The Palm Beach Post is part of the USA TODAY Network.
The Palm Beach Post: YES
The Palm Beach Post Editorial Board recommends a Yes vote on Amendment 3.
Why: “Legalize pot and deal with its ills: This is not an easy call, but Amendment 3 would be a start for the state to finally address the ongoing health and legal issues surrounding cannabis. Despite the psychological concerns and punitive laws against it, weed has long enjoyed widespread use. The Post recommends voters face this reality, with a ‘yes’ on Amendment 3. insist that state lawmakers and health officials implement a more credible approach to the problems associated with weed. The typical tough-on-crime mantra has only made matters worse, when it comes to cannabis. No matter the referendum's outcome, there are concerns that must be addressed and it's up to our state leaders to do it.”
Florida Amendment 3: Tampa Bay Times Editorial Board recommendation
Tampa Bay Times: YES
The Tampa Bay Times Editorial Board recommends a Yes vote on Amendment 3.
Why: “The way Florida handles low-level marijuana possession is ineffective, destructive, racially biased and detached from modern sentiment. It’s a good thing voters have a chance to rectify all that in the Nov. 5 election. Legalizing adult-use recreational marijuana can’t get here soon enough. Our justice system snares too many otherwise law-abiding people for simply possessing a substance that in many ways is less dangerous than alcohol.”
Florida Amendment 3: Miami Herald Editorial Board recommendation
Miami Herald: YES
The Miami Herald Editorial Board recommends a Yes vote on Amendment 3.
Why: “For more than half a century, America has been fighting a war on drugs that most people agree has failed. It focused too often on street arrests of young people of color who spent years in prison for small amounts of marijuana while violent cartels bringing in opioids, cocaine and fentanyl — among the most dangerous drugs — continued doing business. Now Floridians have a chance to help police direct their resources to where they will matter more — to combat killer drugs — and allow the legal use of marijuana products for adults 21 and older.”
Florida Amendment 3: Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board recommendation, South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Board recommendation
The editorial boards of the Orlando Sentinel and the South Florida Sun Sentinel combined their recommendations for most of the 2024 Florida Amendments. Below is what both newspapers’ editorial boards have to say about Amendment 3, the recreational marijuana amendment.
Orlando Sentinel: YES
South Florida Sun Sentinel: YES
The Orlando Sentinel and the South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Boards recommend a Yes vote on Amendment 3.
Why: “Allowing personal use of marijuana makes sense for Florida: The good outweighs the bad in Amendment 3, the proposed recreational marijuana constitutional amendment. People shouldn't be arrested for possessing small amounts of marijuana, and there are good reasons, in terms of both economics and public safety, for marijuana to be carefully regulated.”
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Florida Amendment 3, weed endorsements: Newspaper editorial boards