It’s was a rocky road to medical marijuana, but a new push towards full recreational legalization could put an initiative on the 2020 ballot — and it’s looking like there’s plenty of support For years, the possibility of legalizing recreational adult-use marijuana in Florida was little more than an afterthought — but in recently, momentum’s picked […]
Florida
Hemp-CBD Across State Lines: Florida
By Daniel Shortt, Attorney @ Harris Bricken The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (“2018 Farm Bill”) legalized hemp by removing the crop and its derivatives from the definition of marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”) and by providing a detailed framework for the cultivation of hemp. The 2018 Farm Bill gives the US Department […]
Florida legalized hemp. Now prosecutors are dropping marijuana charges and retiring dogs
Hemp is identical to marijuana, minus the THC, but dogs and cops can’t smell a difference. That means Florida prosecutors are instructing police to change when they can search people for probable cause, and some are dropping marijuana charges wholesale. A new hemp law in Florida has forced prosecutors across the state to toss marijuana convictions, forced police […]
Lawyer John Morgan wants to make recreational marijuana legal in Florida next year
Orlando lawyer John Morgan on Tuesday backed a campaign to legalize recreational marijuana in Florida through a constitutional amendment in 2020, declaring that “I am too old to care” about opposition to the proposal. “I believe that #marijuana should be legal!!” Morgan wrote on his Twitter account. “I think we have time and I think […]
With Petition Milestone, Recreational Marijuana Is One Step Closer in Florida
For years, Floridians have watched from the sidelines as states such as Colorado, California, and even Michigan have legalized recreational marijuana. But with activists pushing to get recreational weed on the 2020 ballot in Florida, the possibility of legalization now seems likelier than ever. Yesterday the advocacy group Regulate Florida announced its petition to legalize […]
Recreational Marijuana Will Be on 2020 Ballot Despite Sleazy Move by Legislature, Activists Say
Activists hoping to get recreational pot on the 2020 ballot are undeterred by passage of Florida House Bill 5, the latest Republican attempt to subvert the people’s will. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the bill into law on June 7 in what the South Florida Sun-Sentinel described as an “arrogant abuse of political power.” The measure took effect immediately. […]
Florida has ‘all-time high’ support for recreational pot, but will it be on the ballot?
With medical marijuana dispensaries becoming commonplace in Florida, will recreational pot soon be on the shelves, too? The people behind the effort to get a constitutional amendment on the ballot say yes. That optimism is reflected in the 65 percent of Florida voters polled recently by Quinnipiac University who support the idea, a number the […]
Medical marijuana: Florida law creates ‘oligopoly’ for pot businesses, court decides
Florida’s law requiring to grow, process and distribute cannabis and related products created an “oligopoly” and runs afoul of a constitutional amendment that broadly legalized medical marijuana in the Sunshine State, an appellate court has ruled. The 1st District Court of Appeal’s decision sent shockwaves through the state’s rapidly growing medical marijuana industry, in which […]
Buyer beware: CBD products could be this century’s snake oil
Drive to Wynwood to indulge in CBD-infused cold brew that will take away your anxiety. Head to the Plantation farmer’s market and snap up CBD-infused honey to cure your trouble sleeping. Take a trip to a med spa in Boca Raton and pick up a CBD-infused topical cream for your shoulder pain. South Florida has […]
Medical marijuana licenses granted for eight more Florida operators
Florida is adding eight more medical marijuana operators to the 14 businesses currently selling cannabis throughout the state. The new additions to Florida’s rapidly growing medical-marijuana industry — projected to generate more than $2.5 billion in annual revenue within five years — come from a pool of applicants that lost out in the first round […]
Florida lawmakers move to cap THC in smokable medical marijuana
The level of THC would be capped in medical marijuana for smoking, and it would be harder for sick children to get full-strength medical pot, under a House proposal slated for its first vetting Wednesday. The legislation, proposed by House Health & Human Services Chairman Ray Rodrigues, also would set limits on the potency of medical marijuana […]
Florida’s largest medical marijuana operator gets more dispensaries after reaching deal with state
Florida’s largest medical marijuana operator gets more dispensaries after reaching deal with stateState health officials have dropped an appeal of a Tallahassee judge’s ruling and agreed to allow Florida’s largest medical marijuana operator to open more dispensaries than a state law allowed. Quincy-based Trulieve challenged a limit on the number of storefronts that was included […]
As marijuana gets legalized, companies drop THC testing of employees in Florida
At the Ed Morse empire of auto dealerships, testing for THC no longer is part of the hiring process. Ed Morse Automotive Group this month stopped screening for marijuana metabolites before offering positions to job candidates, says Teddy Morse, chairman and chief executive of the 1,200-employee company. Ed Morse Automotive Group still tests for signs of cocaine, heroin and […]
Florida House Rescinds Medical Marijuana Smoking Ban
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ requested that lawmakers repeal the state’s ban on smokable medical marijuana. The Florida House obliged on Wednesday. The Gov vowed to fight the ban through he courts, if necessary; however, Bill SB 182 passed by a landslide 101-11 vote. The bill also passed unanimously in the Senate last week by a vote of 38-0. The “smoking ban” i.e., […]
Smokable medical marijuana bill slated for passage
TALLAHASEE, Fla. (CAPITOL NEWS SERVICE) – Patients could be able to legally smoke medical marijuana by the end of the week. State lawmakers appear to be on track to lift the ban on smokable medical marijuana as early as Wednesday, two days earlier than the Friday deadline set by the Governor. Bill sponsors and advocates […]
Medical marijuana smoking ban close to being repealed in Florida
With plenty of breathing room before a March 15 deadline set by Gov. Ron DeSantis, House and Senate leaders are close to doing away with a state ban on smoking medical marijuana. State Sen. Jeff Brandes and state Rep. Ray Rodrigues confirmed Wednesday they’ve reached an accord on a proposal that would allow patients to purchase […]
Two Florida lawmakers push to legalize recreational marijuana
Legal adult use of marijuana could be on the way to Florida, with no prescription necessary. This week, Rep. Carlos Guillermo-Smith, D-Orlando, co-sponsored legislation (HB1117) in the Florida House to recreationalize marijuana in the state along with Rep. Michael Grieco, D-Miami Beach. Under the bill, adults over 21 years of age could possess, use, and transport up […]
Smokable medical marijuana gets the green light from Florida lawmakers
Patients could soon be allowed to smoke medical marijuana — but with pre-rolled joints with filters — under a measure approved by a key state House panel Tuesday. Committees in the House and Senate both advanced legislation to nix Florida’s ban on smoking medical marijuana, following an ultimatum issued by Gov. Ron DeSantis shortly after the Republican took office last month. […]
