The Florida legislature’s passage of a bill to expand the use of medical marijuana in the state ended one chapter in the battle over regulating the nascent industry. But marijuana advocates say it doesn’t go far enough.
Once Gov. Rick Scott signs the bill – and he says he will – the principal backer of getting the amendment on last year’s ballot said he intends to sue over the law’s ban on smoking cannabis.
Attorney John Morgan has been steadfast in saying that the 71% who voted for the amendment expected smoking as one of the ways to consume cannabis.
Morgan said he plans to file the lawsuit in Leon County, home to the state capital of Tallahassee.
Senate Democrats made a last-ditch attempt to get smoking added to the measure, citing that nearly 90% of people who use marijuana smoke it, but it was voted down.
The addition of smokable cannabis would likely be another boon for prospective medical marijuana businesses in the state.
The legislature’s compromise bill will open up the market by creating opportunities for 10 new vertically integrated MMJ companies to operate cultivation facilities and dispensaries. Coupled with the seven licensed companies already in business under Florida’s CBD-focused program, the bill will give Florida 17 total licenses by July 1, 2018.
– Associated Press
