One month since a petition was filed encouraging Florida’s lawmakers to include a constitutional amendment on the 2020 ballot for adult-use cannabis legalization, contributions have hit the $1 million mark.

Titled, “Make It Legal Florida (MILF)” and registered on the first day of August with the Division of Elections (DOE) as the “Adult Use Of Marijuana” initiative, the cannabis legalization campaign in Florida received $1.09 million in cash contributions from two main donors – MedMen and Surterra Wellness.

Florida’s cannabis legalization campaign also raked in $104,500 in in-kind contributions.

Cannabis legalization campaign in Florida: Who are the big donors?

Already big names in the legal cannabis industry, MedMen and Surterra Wellness each donated $545,000.

MedMen, which is located in Culver City, California, is a publicly-traded company that turned over $39.8 million in 2018. The cannabis company was established back in 2010. Since this time, MedMen has expanded operations across 12 U.S. states, where it boasts 92 retail locations. 

The Southeastern Director of Government Affairs for MedMen, Nick Hansen, is the MILF committee’s chairman.

Surterra is headquartered in Atlanta. The acclaimed legal weed company provides patients with medical cannabis products inside 31 dispensaries scattered around Florida; Trulieve is the only other dispensary operator on-par with this number of locations. 

Since its inception five years ago, Surterra has launched vertically-operated facilities throughout Massachusetts, Nevada, and Texas. Combined, these facilities churned out $50 million in revenues last year.

What does the cannabis legalization campaign in Florida entail?

The recreational cannabis ballot proposal for Florida’s 2020 ballot would make the plant legal for adults aged 21 and above. It would also trigger the launch of adult-use dispensaries statewide. 

Under the terms of MILF’s ballot proposal, existing medical cannabis dispensaries in Florida would also be able to sell recreational cannabis and related products. However, the products must be packaged in such a way that they do not appeal to children. 

Recreational cannabis products in Florida must also be displayed and sold in childproof packaging.

According to the details of the cannabis legalization campaign in Florida, pot accessories would be included in the proposed amendment; the rules also apply for the transportation, display, and possession of cannabis to the amount of 2.5 ounces.

If the proposal is to be effectuated, the MILF committee must first obtain the necessary amount of signatures for it to gain lawmaker’s approval. Within a five-month period – from now until February – a total of 766,200 verified voter signatures are needed, so as to ensure the initiative qualifies for the 2020 ballot.

Cannabis legalization campaign in Florida is one of three active petitions

MILF is not the only recreational cannabis legalization campaign in Florida currently active. Two separate initiatives have also been filed so far.

The first initiative to be launched was Sensible Florida’s “Regulate Marijuana in a Manner Similar to Alcohol to Establish Age, Licensing, and Other Restrictions.”

Sponsored by Regulate Florida, the petition has been signed by 88,813 voters since it was filed in March; a sufficient number for it to be sent to a state Supreme Court for an in-depth review. Donations amounted to $177,883 and it has raised $245,725 in in-kind contributions.

The other cannabis legalization campaign in Florida still alive and kicking is the “Right Of Adults To Cannabis.” It was submitted by Floridians For Freedom’s “Right Of Adults To Cannabis” back in August 2015.

As of Tuesday, September 10, the “Right Of Adults To Cannabis.” had gathered 24,279 petition signatures.