How Pregnant Pigs Stopped Marijuana Legalization in Florida
Supporters of drug policy liberalization in Florida believe that pregnant pigs are to blame for the failure to legalize recreational marijuana in the state.
Marijuana Legalization Falls Short in Florida
On November 5, Florida held a vote on lifting the ban on recreational cannabis. While 55.9% of voters supported the initiative, this simple majority was not enough for the proposal to pass. In Florida, constitutional amendments—such as those allowing marijuana sales—require at least 60% of the vote to be approved.
Until 2006, initiatives put to a public vote in Florida were considered approved if they received more than half of the votes. However, this changed in 2006 after Floridians voted to raise the threshold to 60%. Strangely enough, pregnant pigs were the reason for this change.
The Pregnant Pig Amendment
Twenty-two years ago, Florida approved a constitutional amendment banning the confinement of pregnant pigs in cages or on tethers that restricted their movement. Animal rights activists from the Humane Society of the United States lobbied for this measure to protect pigs from cruelty, and they succeeded. However, many politicians were outraged by the addition of a clause about pregnant pigs to the state constitution. They began campaigning to increase the number of votes required to change the law, making it harder to pass controversial proposals. As a result, the new 60% rule was put to a vote and approved by citizens in 2006.
Why the Cannabis Ban Remains
After their defeat, members of Smart & Safe Florida, the group advocating for marijuana legalization, said they would continue their fight for drug policy reform, noting that a majority of Floridians support the measure. However, the money invested in the legalization campaign was lost. The biggest loser was the cannabis company Trulieve, which donated $141.9 million to the effort.
Concerns Over a One-Sided Legalization
Shaleen Title, founder of the Parabola Center for Law and Policy, explained that the legalization initiative failed because it aimed to create an overly centralized market benefiting only a few companies, including Trulieve. According to her, many Floridians voted against the bill because it did not allow residents to grow their own cannabis, did not support victims of the war on drugs, and could have led to a monopoly.