Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Jim RosicaDecember 3, 2018

A medical marijuana provider in Florida warned customers of a data breach involving its website. AltMed, which does business as MüV, posted on its Facebook page Saturday. A customer had alerted it earlier that day that “customer information could be accessed through a search utility on (the) website. Within 10 minutes, our Information Technology staff […]

Jim RosicaSeptember 21, 2018

Saying a lower-court judge “misconstrued the plain language of Florida’s Medical Marijuana Amendment,” the state is asking an appellate court to reverse her ruling allowing Tampa strip club mogul Joe Redner to grow and make juice of his own medical marijuana. Outside counsel for the Department of Health filed an initial brief Thursday in its appeal at […]

Jim RosicaSeptember 14, 2018

The state constitution “creates a procedural right to seek treatment with smokable marijuana,” according to a new filing in an appeal by patients seeking to light up medicinal cannabis. Attorney Jon Mills filed a 48-page answer brief late Thursday, in response to the state’s 57-page brief last month arguing that the smoking of medical marijuana […]

Jim RosicaSeptember 13, 2018

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A Canadian mining concern this week said it had finalized a deal to merge with Trulieve, a Florida medical marijuana provider. Toronto-based Schyan Exploration Inc. will combine with Trulieve Inc. to become Trulieve Cannabis Corp. It will trade stock publicly in Canada. The agreement was announced Tuesday. The closing date for the transaction is expected […]

Peter SchorschSeptember 10, 2018

Nichole Geary, formerly the Florida Department of Health‘s (DOH) General Counsel, is joining Floridian Partners, LLC’s government affairs and law practice, the firm announced Monday. Geary, who will be in the firm’s Tallahassee office, will focus on health care policy, medical cannabis regulation, strategic business consulting, and general legislative and executive branch advocacy under the […]

Jim RosicaSeptember 8, 2018

MedMen Enterprises Inc. of Los Angeles, the country’s biggest medical marijuana provider, on Friday said it had closed a deal to buy a medical marijuana treatment center license and “related assets” from Central Florida’s Treadwell Nursery. The $53 million deal, first announced in June, includes “prime retail locations with long term leases in Ft. Lauderdale, Miami Beach, West Palm Beach, […]

Jim RosicaAugust 21, 2018

A special panel of lawmakers continues to demand answers from medical marijuana regulators, according to a new letter obtained Tuesday through a public record request. Among the latest queries from the Joint Administrative Procedures Committee (JAPC): The identities of “subject matter experts” that the Department of Health plans to use to evaluate license applications, and whether a rule governing […]

Jim RosicaAugust 13, 2018

As it defends a slew of cases over medical marijuana, the state of Florida has spent close to $2 million on outside lawyers. Nearly all of that went to one firm. Records reviewed last week show at least $1.9 million approved by the Department of Health (DOH) going to two law firms — mostly Vezina, Lawrence & Piscitelli, […]

Jim RosicaAugust 6, 2018

An administrative law judge on Monday struck down a proposed state regulation carving out a ‘citrus preference’ for medical marijuana provider licenses, calling it “invalid.” The decision may be moot, however, because a circuit judge last week declared the section of state law creating the preference to be unconstitutional. (That story is here.) Louis Del […]

Staff ReportsAugust 6, 2018

With a new controlled substances bill having gone into effect last month, the Department of Health Monday announced a new “Take Control” campaign, including a website. The measure (HB 21) “was passed to address the opioid crisis by limiting the risk of overprescribing for acute pain, and it will not impact patients who have established […]

Tag: Department of Health
Image via Palatka Main Street.

Medical marijuana company warns of data breach

State asks court to reverse medical marijuana ‘home grow’ ruling

Marijuana smoking ban case smolders in appellate court

More marijuana dealmaking: Trulieve merging with Canadian company

Personnel note: Floridian Partners adds Nichole Geary, former Dept. of Health general counsel

Done deal: Medical marijuana’s MedMen closes on Florida acquisition

‘Please explain’: Legislative panel again questions marijuana regulators

State has spent $2M on legal bills for medical marijuana

Judge strikes down proposed ‘citrus preference’ rule for marijuana licenses

Health Dept. launches controlled substances awareness campaign