Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterJanuary 25, 2016

An administrative law judge said he doesn’t have the authority to stop the Department of Health from issuing the final licenses for medical marijuana businesses, despite concerns over whether they should be considered final before administrative proceedings are complete. The Tampa Bay Business Journal reported, administrative law Judge John G. Van Laningham denied a request […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 22, 2016

In Northeast Florida, Rob Bradley has a lot of pull. One of the most powerful Senators in the state, with a PAC to match, a measure of Bradley’s esteem is that he was chosen to carry the ball on the Lenny Curry plan to defray the unfunded liability of public pensions with a half-cent sales tax. In […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 20, 2016

Jacksonville’s Land Use and Zoning committee unanimously approved a bill setting guidelines for cultivation and dispensing facilities for low-THC cannabis on Wednesday. Not before a brief hiccup. Councilman Aaron Bowman commented, “We did this because we thought we’d be one of the approved sites [for cultivation], but we weren’t.” Since Jacksonville isn’t going to be an approved […]

Staff ReportsJanuary 18, 2016

A medical marijuana grower may have told a Senate panel last week he was working with University of Florida scientists, but a university spokeswoman now says that’s not the case, according to a report by public broadcasting affiliate WUFT-TV and FM. Robert Wallace, owner of Chestnut Hill Tree Farm in Alachua, on Wednesday told senators on the Regulated […]

Associated PressJanuary 16, 2016

In the two years since the Florida Legislature passed a law allowing highly restricted use of medical marijuana to help people with seizures, the measure remains in regulatory limbo with more questions than answers. The low-potency marijuana allowed under the Compassionate Cannabis Act of 2014 is not getting to patients and that has key supporters […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterJanuary 8, 2016

More patients could be allowed to use medical marijuana under recently filed legislation in the Florida Legislature. On Thursday, Rep. John Wood, a Winter Haven Republican, filed legislation, HB 1183, that could expand medical marijuana options beyond a narrow category of patients, including children with a rare form of epilepsy. Wood’s proposal would allow use […]

Associated PressDecember 14, 2015

When Florida’s Office of Compassionate Care named five nurseries to grow and distribute medical marijuana in the state, many expected there would be a few challenges filed — but not the more than a dozen that had landed by Monday’s deadline. Department of Health officials said in an email that 13 administrative challenges across all […]

Jim RosicaDecember 11, 2015

Three Florida nurseries on Friday filed the first protests over the state’s licensing of growers of medical marijuana, according to the state Department of Health. The department confirmed receiving filings from TropiFlora of Sarasota, San Felasco Nurseries of Gainesville and Perkins Nursery of LaBelle by the close of business. Rejected nurseries have until Monday to file protests over the state’s award […]

Jim RosicaDecember 10, 2015

A medical marijuana lobbyist said a half-dozen Florida nurseries that had applied but failed to become growers “are thinking seriously about protesting” the state’s license-award process. Taylor Patrick Biehl told FloridaPolitics.com on Thursday that he and fellow lobbyist Jeff Sharkey had “spoken with seven or eight nurseries and a variety of administrative lawyers about the protest possibilities, […]

Jim RosicaDecember 9, 2015

Department of Health officials Wednesday presented the first draft of rules to govern the growing, processing and dispensing of medical marijuana in the Sunshine State. But instead of a spirited debate, they mostly sat quietly, answering a few questions, but not hearing any substantive reaction from growers’ representatives or anyone else in the audience of about 25. […]

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Mike Johnson. Image via AP.

Judge says he doesn’t have authority to stop medical marijuana licenses from being issued

Rob Bradley talks Jax pension surtax, cannabis, and his political future

Jax Land Use panel OKs low-THC cannabis bill

Report: UF just says no to medical marijuana partnerships

Some progress but still waiting on medical marijuana in Florida

John Wood files legislation to give more patients medical marijuana options

13 challenges filed over medical marijuana licenses

3 Florida nurseries file protests over medical marijuana licenses

Nurseries gearing up for pot protests, lobbyist says

Medical marijuana rule-making workshop a buzzkill