Stakeholders predict economic boom if Florida permits recreational weed

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida's marijuana industry could triple in size if voters approve recreational use next year. That's according to one of the state's largest medical cannabis producers, Trulieve.

The company is helping bankroll the ballot initiative to legalize weed for those 21 and older. It's already contributed nearly $40 million to the effort and gotten the signatures needed to get on the ballot.

Trulieve's CEO Kim Rivers said it could be big business for the Sunshine State. Their internal estimates suggested the $2 billion medical marijuana industry could expand to $6 billion with recreational use permitted.

"That's the math," Rivers said. "We have 21 million residents here in the state of Florida, growing all the time — folks found us post-COVID — then 138 million unique tourist visits a year."