Medical marijuana may have failed with voters this time around, but lawmakers and supporters are getting ready for a second chance.
The campaign for Amendment 2 went down in defeat on Election Day, falling three points short of the 60-percent support required to pass.
Still, if the amendment were a politician, it would have coasted to victory, having received more votes than any of the winners of Florida's statewide offices.
That's why Jeff Sharkey and Taylor Biehl don't plan to close up shop at the Medical Marijuana Business Association of Florida. They say the election sends a clear message: that a majority of Floridians want it legalized.
Now Sharkey and Biehl are helping to draft bills to make that happen.
"The legislature and others were concerned that this amendment was a little too broad, a little too loose, so what I think this does is give the legislature, back in their home court, give them the opportunity to, really, develop a rational framework that meets their requirements but also meets the requirements of patients around the state," Sharkey said.
Helping the "No on 2" crowd win the day was the argument that a bag of pot could have become nearly as common as a cup of coffee. Medical marijuana advocates say they've learned their lesson for the next round. That lesson: don't overdo it.
Even many supporters say there weren't enough safeguards to make sure the only people getting medical marijuana are people with chronic medical conditions.
That allowed critics like Polk Sheriff Grady Judd to label the amendment "irresponsible."
"It's a crime matter, it's a social problem matter, it's a social community matter and, certainly, it leads to other drugs," he said.
Now lawmakers are in charge of medical marijuana's destiny, and supporters say that after Election Day, it's clear that the issue of medical marijuana is not going to go away.