USF students say amendment to legalize marijuana is important for regulation

An amendment to legalize the use of recreational marijuana in Florida received 783,592 out of the 880,062 signatures needed to make the midterm ballots. ORACLE GRAPHIC/THOMAS MARRS

An amendment to legalize the use of recreational marijuana in Florida failed to garner enough support to make the ballot for the 2026 Florida midterm election.

Smart & Safe Florida, a non-profit organization that sponsors the amendment titled “Personal Marijuana Use for Florida Adults,” spearheaded a petition to have it on the ballot, according to its website.

The ballot initiative was approved in January 2025, and a public petition was created that allowed people to sign through an online document.

But the petition received 783,592 signatures — short of the 880,062 signatures required by the state to be put on the 2026 Florida midterm ballot, according to the Florida Department of State.

In the 2024 election, Amendment 3 — which would have made the recreational use of marijuana legal in Florida — made it to the ballot but failed to reach a 60% threshold to pass.

Some USF students said the petition’s approval would have been a step in the right direction for the decriminalization and regulation of marijuana.

There are five scheduling levels for drugs, which are categorized based on their acceptable medical use and abuse or dependency potential, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Schedule I drugs, such as marijuana, have no accepted medical use under official federal law, with the highest potential for abuse.

While marijuana is classified as a Schedule I drug under federal law, it has some qualifying medical uses in Florida — including for cancer, epilepsy and post-traumatic stress disorder, according to Florida Statute 381.986.

In December 2025, President Donald Trump released an executive order that would allow the federal Attorney General to reclassify marijuana as a Schedule III drug.

Schedule III drugs, such as ketamine, have a moderate potential for dependence, according to the DEA.

Juniper Lewis, a first-year microbiology master’s student, said she believes marijuana should be decriminalized because the criminalization of drugs can often worsen addiction instead of alleviating it.

“A lot of times it only makes it more difficult to get treatment,” Lewis said. “Marijuana in itself is not very harmful, as long as it’s given the same cautions as alcohol.”

Marijuana enters the bloodstream and is transferred to the brain, causing chemical changes that alter perception, with a report showing one in 10 people develop a cannabis disorder from marijuana, according to American Addiction Centers.

Lewis said there would likely be a “sudden surge” in marijuana use after being decriminalized.

Still, she said people should be allowed to be responsible for their own decisions — and the consequences that come with them.

“It’s sort of like a helicopter parenting technique where that’ll actually make children more likely to do incredibly stupid things because their parents are too controlling,” Lewis said.

Andrew Wilson, a freshman chemistry student, said he believes the penalties for marijuana possession are too harsh.

“I feel like the punishments for marijuana are probably a little more severe than they should be right now,” Wilson said.

In Florida, illegal possession of marijuana can warrant fines and jail time depending on the amount, according to legal professionals with Find Law.

Amendment 3 on the 2024 ballot would have allowed Florida adults 21 and older to legally possess up to three ounces of marijuana for recreational use, according to Ballotpedia.

Wilson added that the legalization of marijuana would have a positive impact on people who use marijuana recreationally.

“People who want it are still going to get it no matter what,” Wilson said. “So I mean, if you legalize it, you can better control what’s out there, and provide people with better and safer usage.”

Bradly Blake, a freshman business major, said he believes legalizing marijuana would improve its handling and distribution — helping users avoid drug-lacing-related issues.

“Drugs coming from the wrong places are not going to be properly handled,” he said. “I think it’s better to regulate it and have it come through a more safe area rather than a back doorway.”

Drugs laced with other substances create a severe public health problem and change the psychoactive effects on a person, often with fatal results, according to the American Addiction Centers.

Still, Blake said he is “50-50” on the amendment because, while many people advocated for it, there would be downsides to the change.

“I think if it were legalized, a lot more college students would partake in it, because I think a lot of the reason they don’t is because it’s illegal,” he said.

Still, Blake said recreational marijuana should be legal for adults in Florida because it would benefit public health.

“I don’t think marijuana’s going to go away any time soon, so making it legal would just be a lot better for a lot of people, and for regulation,” he said.

USF students say amendment to legalize marijuana is important for regulation

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