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. […]
Florida
Florida House balks at total repeal of medical marijuana smoking ban
Florida House leaders have rolled out a proposal that would allow patients to smoke medical marijuana, but only after going through what one critic called a “bureaucratic mess of red tape.” The House proposal, released Tuesday afternoon, would require doctors get the approval of a “case review panel” before they could order smokable marijuana for […]
Judge rejects cap on marijuana dispensaries in Florida
Siding with Florida’s largest cannabis operator, a circuit judge for the second time struck down a law capping the number of dispensaries medical marijuana businesses can run. The limit on the number of retail storefronts was included in a 2017 law aimed at carrying out a constitutional amendment that broadly legalized medical marijuana. But Quincy-based Trulieve challenged […]
Ron DeSantis poised to make Florida marijuana changes
With one of his chief advisers tweeting the hashtag “NoSmokeIsAJoke,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday he will “very soon” announce changes in how the state is carrying out a constitutional amendment that broadly legalized medical marijuana. DeSantis, a Republican, said many voters believe the state has been “foot dragging” in implementing the amendment, largely bankrolled […]
The Road to Recreational Marijuana in Florida Starts Next Week
When Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis takes office next week, the road to marijuana legalization in Florida begins. Two court appeals that could open up the market and the path to smoking the stuff may be undercut — and a petition drive to put recreational pot on the 2020 ballot will gain steam. An appeals hearing is set for […]
Florida fights ruling on medical marijuana law
Defending a 2017 law that set regulations for the state’s medical-marijuana industry, Florida Department of Health attorneys have asked an appeals court to overturn a circuit judge’s ruling that they say “injected confusion and uncertainty” into the licensing of marijuana firms. The closely watched case centers on whether a law passed during a 2017 special […]
Florida Hemp Program Greenlit and Gearing for Growth
The fledgling pilot project led by University of Florida scientists to explore the potential of producing industrial hemp across the state is getting wings thanks to initial funding from a private partner. Green Roads Inc. has reportedly invested $1.3 million to sponsor the first phase of the UF/IFAS research program. The funds will go to support field trials currently […]
Pro-Pot Florida Candidate Says Wells Fargo Shut Her Account
A Florida politician who has run a pro-medical marijuana campaign said Wells Fargo & Co. closed her account over her ties to the industry, adding that the incident was an example of the challenges legal cannabis businesses face from the U.S. financial system. Nikki Fried, a Democrat running for state agricultural commissioner, said the bank […]
Ruling rejects limits on Florida medical marijuana businesses
In a ruling that could have a revolutionary impact if it stands, a Tallahassee judge has found a law limiting the number of medical marijuana operators in Florida runs afoul of a constitutional amendment approved by voters two years ago. The cap on the number of “medical marijuana treatment centers,” as they are known in Florida law, […]
Florida’s Medical Marijuana Director Abruptly Resigns
Florida medical marijuana director Christian Bax, who has been a frequent target of lawmakers and patients over delays in the program, is stepping down. The Department of Health said on Friday that Bax’s resignation takes effect on Aug. 10. Deputy Director Courtney Coppola has been named the interim director. Bax had led the Office of Medical Marijuana […]
One of Florida’s largest medical marijuana businesses forced to stop processing pot
Surterra, one of the state’s largest medical marijuana treatment centers, has been forced to stop processing cannabis — halting its production of new items — after it failed to meet a food safety inspection deadline in a little-noticed provision of state law last week. The requirement, which mandates that medical marijuana treatment centers complete third-party inspections in […]
Medical Marijuana Drive-Thru Coming To Florida
Medical marijuana patients will have a new option to get their pot. Curaleaf, which has pot retail outlets in Miami-Dade and Lake Worth, will be adding a new store with a drive-thru option in Palm Harbor just northwest of Tampa. The company says it’s the first dispensary in Florida with a drive-thru. The marijuana dispensary will […]
As Marijuana Dispensaries Open Their Doors, Florida Registers 5,400 New Users Per Week
Call it the New Marijuana Math: 91,000 Floridians are buying 56 pounds of pot a week under the orders of 1,400 doctors. A year and a half after an amendment to the state constitution legalized medical marijuana, the fledgling industry is finally starting to show some muscle. “On the one hand, we should have been […]
Despite Decriminalization, Miami Cops Make 40 Marijuana Arrests During Urban Beach Week
As night descended on Lummus Park this past Sunday, the smell of pot along the sidewalk was thicker than the salty ocean air. Perched on a coquina rock barrier, 20-year-old Bianca Plummer rolled a blunt with a few thimblefuls of pot. But before the young woman dressed in shorts and a black swimsuit could light […]
House Judiciary Chair Goodlatte Co-Sponsors Medical Marijuana Bill
House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte has agreed to co-sponsor a Florida Republican’s bipartisan bill to make medical marijuana research easier, his office confirmed on Wednesday. That backing by the conservative Virginia Republican potentially bolsters the bill’s chances in the House. Representative Matt Gaetz started circulating a handout Tuesday night explaining his Medical Cannabis Research Act, […]
Medical Marijuana Patient Number Tops 100,000 in Florida
Florida’s medical-marijuana patient database has hit the 100,000 mark, according to a weekly update issued by the state Department of Health’s Office of Medical Marijuana Use. Marijuana supporters celebrated the number, revealed on April 20, which is also known as “weed day” throughout the nation. As of Friday, 100,576 Florida patients had registered with the […]
3 medical marijuana dispensaries to open in Osceola County, Florida
Three medical marijuana dispensaries are headed to Osceola County even as the county had placed a moratorium on dispensaries. On Feb. 19, Osceola County Commissioners approved a settlement with one of Colorado’s largest marijuana dispensary chains, The Green Solution, that grants them three certificates to open the dispensaries. In return, the company agreed to take […]
Medical marijuana dispensaries OK’d to open in March in Brevard, Florida
Medical marijuana dispensaries will be able to open in unincorporated Brevard County, starting next month, as county commissioners voted unanimously to end a moratorium on their operation. The moratorium will expire on March 9. The commission vote came after Viera residents Tom and Anita Unrath urged commissioners to help people who have medical conditions that could […]
