Trulieve pumps $19.6M into renewed recreational marijuana push in Florida

OR - Trulieve contributed $19.6 million in early 2025 to support a renewed push for legal recreational marijuana in Florida.

What we know:

Trulieve, a major player in Florida’s medical marijuana industry, poured $19.6 million into a fresh push to legalize recreational marijuana via a constitutional amendment in 2026.

The funds, disclosed in a newly filed campaign finance report, were given to the Smart & Safe Florida political committee between Jan. 1 and March 31, 2025. Trulieve also provided over $84,000 in in-kind contributions.

The committee spent nearly all of the money — about $19.47 million — largely on petition signature efforts. So far, the state Division of Elections has verified 150,804 valid signatures. The total needed to qualify for the 2026 ballot is 880,062.

What we don't know:

While the petition drive is underway, it's unclear whether the campaign can meet the signature threshold or regain enough voter momentum to surpass the 60% approval mark after falling short in 2024. It’s also unknown how much support other cannabis companies or donors will provide this cycle, as nearly all of the funding so far has come solely from Trulieve.

The backstory:

Trulieve spent approximately $145 million supporting a similar recreational marijuana initiative that made it onto the 2024 ballot. Despite the massive investment, the amendment failed to achieve the 60% voter approval needed for passage under Florida’s constitutional requirements. The setback hasn't deterred efforts — Smart & Safe Florida is now retooling its strategy for 2026.

Big picture view:

Florida remains a high-stakes battleground in the national cannabis legalization debate. With medical marijuana already legal, expanding it to recreational use would represent a major shift in public policy.

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