Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Jim RosicaJuly 6, 2017

Medical marijuana advocate John Morgan says cannabis smoking doesn’t “impair lung function” and even “increase(s) lung capacity,” as part of his lawsuit to be filed against the state Thursday. Florida Politics on Wednesday night acquired a copy of the 15-page complaint that Morgan says he will file in Leon Circuit Civil court in Tallahassee—against which a […]

Jim RosicaDecember 9, 2016

With establishment lobbyists now representing it, the medical marijuana cause appears to have become—grab your pearls—respectable. Florida for Care, the nonprofit organization that is advocating for “well-regulated” medicinal pot in the state, has hired Brecht Heuchan and The Mayernick Group to advocate for its interests. Heuchan, who says he voted against the medical marijuana constitutional amendment this November, has […]

Jim RosicaNovember 29, 2016

Florida’s bong ban, as toothless as critics say it may be, now is preempted by the recently approved constitutional amendment on medical marijuana. That’s according to Ben Pollara, campaign manager of United for Care. The group has fought for the ballot initiative, which first failed in 2014 before passing this year with 71 percent of […]

Jim RosicaOctober 24, 2016

The team behind this year’s medical marijuana amendment has released an 11-page “intent” memo for voters to “understand the purposes” of the initiative. “Voters should vote for an amendment fully understanding the intent of the drafters,” said the document, obtained by FloridaPolitics.com on Monday. “Fostering voter understanding is the central purpose of this memo, and […]

Phil AmmannOctober 29, 2015

As the Florida House was about to pass the legal guidelines for growing medical pot in our state, an amendment ensured a small group of Florida nurseries would be the only folks allowed to propose handling the crop. The amended bill was signed into law by Gov. Rick Scott in 2014. News reports at the […]

Mitch PerrySeptember 25, 2015

Four states in the country now allow for the legal consumption of marijuana, and Tallahassee House Democrat Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda would love Florida to become the next state to do so. “I think that’s where we ought to be, frankly,” she said of her bill (HB 4021) that removes cannabis from being classified as a Schedule 1 drug. […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorJune 5, 2015

Getting thrown in jail for possessing pot in Miami-Dade County could soon be a thing of the past. A county commission committee is set to consider a proposal that would give law enforcement the option to issue a civil citation rather than slap marijuana-users with a criminal charge. The plan has support from the Miami-Dade Police […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorFebruary 24, 2015

Not that it stands a snow ball’s chance in hell of passing the uber-conservative Florida Legislature, but South Florida Democrat Dwight Bullard has proposed a recreational legalization bill in the Senate. Bullard filed the bill Tuesday that would allow anyone 21 or older to possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana for personal use. The […]

Tag: pot

John Morgan’s suit says smoking pot actually good for the lungs

Implementation of medical marijuana amendment brings together unlikely allies

Bong ban doesn’t apply to medical pot, advocate says

Backers release ‘intent’ statement for medical pot amendment

Halsey Beshears tangled up in Charlotte’s Web

Florida House Democrat proposes state law to legalize pot

Miami-Dade set to consider marijuana civil citation program

Sen. Dwight Bullard tries again with recreational marijuana bill