Supporters of legalizing medical marijuana in Florida are one step closer to achieving their goal.

Early Friday afternoon, the Florida Division of Elections website showed over 710,000 verified signatures in support of the medical marijuana amendment.

The ballot initiative needed at least 683,149 voter signatures from at least 14 of Florida's 27 congressional districts by Feb. 1, as required by state law. As of Friday, enough signatures have come from 14 congressional districts, putting it just over the required halfway mark.

Last week, Ben Pollara, the campaign manager for United for Care, claimed organizers had collected more than 1.1 million signatures.

Groups pushing a constitutional amendment typically gather more signatures than needed in case some are rejected.



Up next in the process, the state Supreme Court will issue an opinion on whether or not the language of the ballot is clear and not misleading.

The 74-word ballot, coming in at just under the 75-word limit on summing up a proposed amendment, reads as follows:

Allows the medical use of marijuana for individuals with debilitating diseases as determined by a licensed Florida physician. Allows caregivers to assist patients' medical use of marijuana. The Department of Health shall register and regulate centers that produce and distribute marijuana for medical purposes and shall issue identification cards to patients and caregivers. Applies only to Florida law. Does not authorize violations of federal law or any non-medical use, possession or production of marijuana.

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi told the court she believes the wording of the amendment is too vague and could lead to anybody getting medical marijuana, whether there was a legitimate medical need or not.

The Florida Supreme Court is expected to issue an opinion on or before April 1. If approved, the amendment would need a 60 percent "yes" vote from voters in order to pass.



Around the U.S., 20 other states and the District of Columbia have laws allowing medical use of marijuana.



The amendment's backers are led by Orlando attorney John Morgan, who said he's seen the benefit of using the drug by his late father, who had esophageal cancer, and his brother, who is a quadriplegic.