In a case that could have important implications for the medical-marijuana industry, Florida Supreme Court justices Wednesday waded into a battle about whether the state has properly carried out a 2016 constitutional amendment that broadly legalized marijuana for patients. The Florida Department of Health appealed to the Supreme Court after lower courts sided with Florigrown, […]
florida marijuana
Recreational pot supporters in Florida fire back on new law
With a hearing next week in the Florida Supreme Court, backers of a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow people to use recreational marijuana are disputing arguments by the state Senate that a new law should help block the ballot initiative. Attorneys for the political committee Make It Legal Florida filed a 28-page brief Monday […]
Medical marijuana industry booming in Florida during COVID-19 pandemic
Since Florida confirmed its first COVID-19 cases early last month, people are getting more things delivered, from groceries to food, to mixed cocktails to go. And more and more Floridians are having medical marijuana delivered straight to their homes “In light of everything that’s been happening, we’ve seen at least a two-to-three fold increase in […]
Florida Legislature not moving to address marijuana legislation this session
As the Legislature reaches the halfway point of the 2020 session, no committee has yet to hear any of the wide range of bills filed to address a list of issues in Florida’s medical marijuana program. Marijuana advocates are frustrated and people in the industry are left scratching their heads. 2019 was an eventful year […]
Recreational pot ballot proposal fizzles, but new pot bills filed in Tallahassee
Voters will not vote to legalize recreational marijuana in Florida this year. After a brief but expensive campaign, the Make it Legal Florida political committee ended its effort Monday to get recreational marijuana on the 2020 ballot. The campaign, which raised over $8.7 million in primarily marijuana industry money since it launched in August, has […]
Legalize marijuana amendment should be kept off the ballot, Florida GOP leaders tell Supreme Court
Attorney General Ashley Moody and the state House and Senate want the Florida Supreme Court to reject a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow recreational marijuana use, arguing the measure wouldn’t fully inform voters that pot remains illegal under federal law. Lawyers for Moody, the House and the Senate filed briefs late Monday contending that […]
Recreational marijuana backers in Florida seek more time for petition signatures
Arguing that a new law violates constitutional rights, supporters of a proposed constitutional amendment that would legalize recreational marijuana filed a lawsuit Tuesday seeking more time to submit petition signatures to get on the November ballot. The political committee Make It Legal Florida filed the lawsuit in Leon County circuit court targeting the constitutionality of […]
Finally, you’ll be able to buy marijuana the way you want it in Florida
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 […]
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 […]
