Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Staff ReportsApril 10, 2018

Surterra Wellness, a medical marijuana provider, says it’s “joined the fight to allow direct-to-patient sales of full cannabis plants,” according to a Tuesday press release. Surterra filed a “petition to intervene” in an administrative action by Trulieve, another Florida provider, to let medical marijuana treatment centers (MMTCs) “sell whole-plant cannabis.” But Trulieve’s head later on […]

Jim RosicaApril 9, 2018

If a pesticide is good enough for organic crops, it’s good enough to be used on medicinal pot, a Florida medical marijuana provider says. Liberty Health Sciences, a Canadian concern operating in the U.S., last week filed an administrative challenge over a Florida Department of Health proposed rule on marijuana pesticides. Within days, however, both sides agreed to a ceasefire, Division […]

Jim RosicaApril 2, 2018

Trulieve, a medical marijuana provider, on Monday filed a “constitutional challenge” against the state’s Department of Health over how many retail stores it can open, and where, under current law. An attorney for the company, which is seeking “non-monetary declaratory or injunctive relief,” provided a copy of the complaint by George Hackney Inc., the Gadsden County nursery […]

A.G. GancarskiMarch 20, 2018

Amendment 2 was approved by 71 percent of Florida voters in 2016, yet nearly two years later, the Office of Medical Marijuana Use is still workshopping rules. The road show came to Jacksonville Tuesday afternoon, to a Southside hotel in the absolute doldrums of renovations. From peeling wallpaper in the single-occupancy bathroom to a stale, […]

Jim RosicaFebruary 5, 2018

Four times, lawmakers on Monday gave the state’s top medical marijuana regulator an opportunity to speak on their objections to rules and regulations on the drug. And four times, Christian Bax said nothing because it wasn’t yet time to do so, he later explained. “The department has 30 days in order to respond,” Bax, director of […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 31, 2018

Rep. Jason Brodeur is telling the state’s top health officials to get to work on medical marijuana—or they won’t get paid. The Sanford Republican has offered an amendment to the House’s 2018-19 budget proposal that would freeze more than $1.9 million in salaries and benefits for the Department of Health‘s brass, including Secretary and state Surgeon General Celeste […]

Jim RosicaDecember 14, 2017

An epic 238-page lawsuit filed by Joe Redner‘s Florigrown company—replete with references to Encyclopedia Britannica, ancient Roman medical texts and the Nixon White House tapes—alleges that the state is failing its responsibility to carry out the people’s will when it comes to medical marijuana. The complaint was filed Wednesday in Leon County Circuit Civil court […]

Jim RosicaNovember 21, 2017

State regulators have told a South Florida medical marijuana provider to quit selling “unapproved” vaping devices. The Department of Health‘s Office of Medical Marijuana Use sent a “cease and desist” letter Monday to Curaleaf of Miami. It also tells the company to stop “running unapproved advertisements encouraging (its) product to be used in a manner inconsistent” with […]

Jim RosicaNovember 21, 2017

A medical marijuana provider is accusing the Department of Health of dragging its feet on allowing the company to once again sell ‘vaping’ devices. Trulieve this month filed a petition for declaratory statement with the department, which regulates medicinal cannabis through its Office of Medical Marijuana Use. In May, the department told Trulieve to stop selling wire-mesh […]

Jim RosicaNovember 15, 2017

A litany of lawsuits continues to jam up the state’s medical marijuana licensure process, the state’s top marijuana official told House lawmakers Wednesday. Christian Bax, executive director of the state Health Department’s Office of Medical Marijuana Use, gave the House Health Quality Subcommittee an overview of his work, including the latest tally of legal challenges. “(Our) position […]

Tag: Office of Medical Marijuana Use

Let us sell whole-plant medical marijuana, company says

Marijuana provider: State’s pesticide regulation too ‘stringent’

Medical marijuana provider Trulieve sues state over store limits

In Jacksonville, Christian Bax defends medical marijuana rulemaking process

Medical marijuana regulator’s silence vexes lawmakers

Jason Brodeur to Health Dep’t: No pay till progress on marijuana

Joe Redner’s Florigrown files mammoth medical marijuana lawsuit

State to medical marijuana company: Stop selling ‘vaping’ devices

Vape ’em if you got ’em, Trulieve says

Legal challenges bog down medical cannabis process