Miami’s relationship with cannabis has shifted dramatically over the past decade, and new polling suggests that many local voters now favor full recreational legalization. While most surveys are conducted at the statewide level rather than city by city, recent Florida polls show majority support for adult-use cannabis, and Miami residents are very much part of that broader trend. A University of North Florida survey in late 2024 found roughly two-thirds of likely Florida voters backing a constitutional amendment to legalize recreational marijuana, comfortably above the 60 percent threshold the measure needed to pass.

For Miami’s diverse community, those numbers reflect everyday conversations already happening in neighborhoods from Little Havana to Miami Beach. Residents see cannabis shops and billboards in other states and question why Florida remains behind. Statewide polling by Florida Atlantic University and Mainstreet Research in 2024 similarly showed 60 percent of respondents supporting the adult-use amendment, indicating durable backing that cuts across party lines, age groups, and regions. National surveys from groups like the Marijuana Policy Project and Gallup echo this picture, finding that a strong majority of Americans now support legal, regulated cannabis.

Miami-specific data can be nuanced. An Ipsos survey for USA Today in 2024 suggested that voters in South Florida, including Miami-Dade, were somewhat less likely than other regions to say they would vote for legalization, highlighting that attitudes are not monolithic even in urban centers. Yet advocates note that younger Miami voters, hospitality workers, and residents who have seen friends or relatives arrested for low-level possession are increasingly vocal about wanting change. That lived experience helps explain why community sentiment on the ground can feel more pro-legalization than some regional numbers suggest.

The backdrop to this debate is Florida’s long record of cannabis enforcement. As recently as 2017, more than 42,000 people were arrested statewide for misdemeanor possession, according to reporting cited by reform advocates. Miami-Dade historically accounted for a sizable share of those cases, though arrests have dropped as some local agencies adopted citation programs and prosecutors shifted priorities. For many Miami families, those arrest histories are not abstract statistics but a source of lasting economic and social harm.

Community leaders also point to Miami’s role as a tourism hub. Each year, millions of visitors arrive from states where recreational cannabis is legal, accustomed to buying regulated products instead of relying on the illicit market. Local business owners argue that a well-designed adult-use system could channel that demand into licensed storefronts, generate tax revenue, and fund public services, while clear rules protect youth and neighborhoods.

At the same time, Miami remains home to residents who worry about impaired driving, youth access, and the impact of public consumption on quality of life. Public health advocates emphasize that legalization debates should include investments in education, treatment, and data collection, not just discussions of tax dollars and tourism.

For now, Miami voters are watching closely as statewide legalization efforts evolve. The latest polling suggests that a large share of Floridians—including many in Miami—are ready for a regulated adult-use market. Whether and when state law catches up with those changing attitudes will help determine the city’s next chapter in its long, complicated story with cannabis. For Miami, the outcome will shape culture, commerce, and justice locally.