Many of Florida’s marijuana dispensaries were not ready when Gov. Ron DeSantis made smokable medical marijuana legal in March.They were busy making oils, capsules, vape cartridges and other cannabis products. In recent months, dispensaries have been struggling to provide enough smokable whole flower, which is the entire marijuana bud, to meet patients’ demands. Some patients prefer smoking […]
florida marijuana
Recreational Weed Would Pump $190 Million Into Florida’s Economy, Report Says
If approved in 2020, recreational marijuana could inject a whopping $190 million in sales tax and tourism dollars into Florida each year. That’s according to a recent financial analysis of an ongoing ballot initiative, which a state commission reviewed earlier this month. The analysts say the overall economic effect would be “slightly positive” — more or less […]
Two Bills Could Dismantle Florida’s Medical Marijuana “Cartel”
Here in Florida, companies like Philip Morris and Bacardi aren’t required to cultivate and process raw plant material and then package, distribute, and sell their cigarettes and rum. But for some reason, state law requires medical marijuana producers to operate exactly this way. As it currently stands, Florida legislation requires the medical marijuana industry to […]
Florida lawmakers want to give veterans medical marijuana cards for free
With data continuing to roll in that underscores the health benefits of cannabis, two Florida legislators aren’t waiting for clarity in the national policy debates and are sponsoring bills designed to give medical marijuana cards to military veterans free of charge. Last week, the Journal of Psychopharmacology added yet another study to the growing body of […]
Florida Schools Finally Allow Students to Use Medical Marijuana on Campus
After decades of futile “Just Say No” policies, Florida school districts are implementing medical marijuana guidelines for students who have medical marijuana cards and need to medicate during school hours. Contrary to the image of the stoner cutup in class, cannabis has shown promise as a treatment for ADHD. CBD has also been shown to be […]
Recreational Marijuana Would Create More Than 100,000 New Jobs in Florida, Study Says
The number of jobs related to hemp, cannabis, and marijuana could increase more than sevenfold in Florida by the year 2025 — that is, if recreational marijuana gains approval in the November 2020 election. The prediction comes from a new study on the cannabis industry conducted by New Frontier Data. “Assuming full federal legalization, New Frontier Data […]
Have $95 million? Two Florida medical marijuana licenses are for sale
In a move uncharacteristic of the cannabis market in Florida, an Atlanta broker is searching for the next owners of two highly sought Florida medical marijuana licenses. Aubrey Logan-Holland, the CEO of a relatively new firm called Blue Dream Industries, is listing the licenses, or “paper” in industry speak, for about $95 million in total. One […]
What legalizing recreational marijuana would mean for Florida
A bigger marijuana industry could be headed toward Florida, drawing consumers one day with a larger selection of pot products and services. That’s if the Sunshine State becomes the latest in the U.S. to legalize adults’ recreational use of weed. Two proposed constitutional amendments now aim to legalize recreational or “adult-use” marijuana in Florida. And […]
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 […]
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 […]
