PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — The legalization of marijuana could be on next year's ballot for voters to decide.
Florida's Supreme Court is debating an amendment to the state constitution that would allow people to use marijuana for whatever they want.
Dom Dufor owns Exoud Exotics, a cannabis store in Largo. He supports legalizing recreational marijuana.
"Overall, it would be a good thing. Just has to be done the right way," said Dufor.
If the language in the new amendment gets the green light, legalizing recreational marijuana will be on the 2024 ballot, and if it passes next year, Dufor believes it'll mean more business for his shop.
"It would increase tourism, more tax money for the state," said Dufor.
He also has some concerns about how many people will move to the area.
"What's that going to do to the rent? The housing prices that are already super high, that's another aspect to look at too," said Dufor.
Right now, medical marijuana is legal for qualifying patients, and the amendment to the state constitution would allow Floridians to have up to three ounces of recreational marijuana without facing criminal charges.
Dr. Mark Kindy is a pharmacy professor and scientist at the University of South Florida. He said, in his opinion, the change could be a good idea.
"Because you can regulate it a little more. Now it's sort of unregulated, and people are using all different kinds," said Dr. Kindy.
He said the university is currently studying the medical benefits of marijuana, and if it's legalized, it could make it easier to research and give to patients.
"Understanding really what which ones, which combinations of cannabinoids and terpenoids in the marijuana actually work, and what are the doses, which ones work on which diseases," said Dr. Kindy.
He said despite the potential benefits, people should be careful.
"A little bit of something may be good, but a lot of something is probably not better," said Dr. Kindy.
Local business owners and medical experts in the Tampa Bay Area say although legalizing recreational marijuana could be a good idea, there are a lot of questions that need to be answered first.
Dr. Kindy wants to know how the drug would be regulated and how it would be addressed in the workplace.
"If they are going to use it, if their employers are testing, then you would have to be careful because you could lose your job if it comes up positive," said Sean Lopez, a lawyer at The Lopez Law Group.
Lopez said when it comes to companies, employers will have to make a choice.
"They are going to have to make the tough decision. 'Do I want employees, or do I want to be known as the individual taking a stance against something that is now legal?'"
He says despite recreational marijuana remaining illegal on a federal level if it's legal in Florida, local businesses would be able to make their own decisions on the topic.
But Lopez said adjustments would need to be made.
"Either the legislature would have to address that issue and allow an accommodation, and that would put employers in a much different position where they may not be able to terminate their employees on a hardline stance," said Lopez.
He suggests going forward, employees do research on their company's current and future drug use policies.
"It's a lot better to err on the side of disclosure than go ahead and start working somewhere, and this becomes a problem down the line," said Lopez.
