Florida accepting public comments, do your part and submit

[MinnBobber]

http://www.floridahealth.gov/progra...-of-compassionate-use/comment-form/index.html

Florida Health Dept is accepting public comments on their possible modifications to their new MMJ law.
- They want to limit to 10 conditions and no chronic pain
- They want only the current 7 nurseries so not much competition
- They want no flowers, just pricey extracts
- They want patients to have to re-up like every 45 days

I'm only a visitor here in FL currently but you FL FCers and anyone interested in your FL ""cannabis brothers and sisters" take a few minutes and send in your thoughts.....please.....thank you

EDIT: I sent in a long letter on their site, highlighting how their proposed changes are clearly NOT in the best interest of medical mj patients and showing how MN went this direction and it resulted in low % grams of conc costing $150 per gram, patients not signing up or dropping out because of high prices (many had over $2000 per month cost), that whole plant (flowers) are better AND cheaper, etc

 

[macbill]

More Than 60 Percent of Florida Voters Are Cool With Recreational Pot
The survey out of the University of North Florida this morning shows that 62 percent of registered voters [URL='http://www.unf.edu/coas/porl/2018FLSpringPoll2.aspx']would back a state law regulating marijuana just like alcohol — with an impressive 45 percent saying they'd "strongly support" a move to fully legalize weed.[/URL]
http://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/m...iversity-of-north-florida-poll-finds-10078782

 

[Tranquility]

http://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/s...ue-state-over-unconstitutional-rules-10151991

As medical marijuana becomes a big business in Florida, the companies who got in the door first are doing everything in their power to minimize competition and maximize their bottom line. And that means pushing for a closed system that prevents most people from breaking into the cannabis industry — and hurts patients by stifling competition and innovation.

That's what a South Florida pot advocacy group argues in a new lawsuit against the state. The group, Patients and Producers Alliance, says the state's heavily limited rules for granting medical-pot-growing and -selling licenses is unconstitutional....​

 

[Baron23]

http://www.floridahealth.gov/progra...-of-compassionate-use/comment-form/index.html

Florida Health Dept is accepting public comments on their possible modifications to their new MMJ law.
- They want to limit to 10 conditions and no chronic pain
- They want only the current 7 nurseries so not much competition
- They want no flowers, just pricey extracts
- They want patients to have to re-up like every 45 days

I'm only a visitor here in FL currently but you FL FCers and anyone interested in your FL ""cannabis brothers and sisters" take a few minutes and send in your thoughts.....please.....thank you

EDIT: I sent in a long letter on their site, highlighting how their proposed changes are clearly NOT in the best interest of medical mj patients and showing how MN went this direction and it resulted in low % grams of conc costing $150 per gram, patients not signing up or dropping out because of high prices (many had over $2000 per month cost), that whole plant (flowers) are better AND cheaper, etc

Well, is not the direct democratic passing of the referendum for a state constitutional amendment not comment enough?

Is perhaps calling the FL state government a pack of facist, know better than the electorate, anti-democratic asshats a reasonable comment?

I lived in FL for many, many years and I'm very glad to be out of there and not under the rule of that state government.

My hope is that Morgan, and the rest who are suing the crap out of the state for basically ignoring the directions of the electorate, are hugely successful.

FL's program is a joke...even worse than NY.

 

[MinnBobber]

Is perhaps calling the FL state government a pack of facist, know better than the electorate, anti-democratic asshats a reasonable comment?

......................................................................
I'm not a FL resident but sent in my comments.
It's a common theme regarding medical cannabis. The passive-aggressive legislators can can go with the flow, but strive to undermine the med program in any way humanly possible. They can strive to make it costly and an admin/bureaucratic /
horrible program and then say, STFU---you have a med program

 

[Tranquility]

......................................................................
I'm not a FL resident but sent in my comments.
It's a common theme regarding medical cannabis. The passive-aggressive legislators can can go with the flow, but strive to undermine the med program in any way humanly possible. They can strive to make it costly and an admin/bureaucratic /
horrible program and then say, STFU---you have a med program

To be fair, a medical cannabis program like the one in CA might make any person in favor of medical as simple common sense very careful in regulating medical in their state. While there was a hoop to jump of getting a recommendation, it is/was essentially legalization. While we here might not find that too scary, many in the country have been bombarded with counter-information for all of their lives and have a rational fear of the devil weed. It might be wrong, but it is rational.

 

[Tranquility]

It just gets better and better. The courts are on board in FL--as long as you are a 77 year old with stage 4 lung cancer and a vegan who's certified doctor recommends juicing. Then, you can grow your own. (Not that the state agrees. They'll probably appeal.)

https://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs...mpa-cancer-patient-can-grow-his-own-marijuana

 

[macbill]

Giant Packages Of Marijuana Washed Up In Florida

Some people turned the packages in to law enforcement. Officials are searching for the ones who did not.

 

[Tranquility]

I'm torn. Obviously, Scott wants only those he clears to be license holders. Democrats will claim it is because he profits from them being so. I suspect the real reason is to slow-walk the voter-approved measure and increase government control. However, we now have a judge who insists the regulations change to accommodate a well-financed corporation who wants in too. Yet another corporate/government debate, only this time the normal "sides" switch.

But, really, I don't think the courts will save a poorly written cannabis law. It might make them a little better in a transitory manner, but prevents real change to have them be rationally considered and made actually better.

https://mjbizdaily.com/florida-gov-appeals-judges-order-to-open-up-medical-cannabis-market/

Gov. Rick Scott’s administration appealed a judge’s order to license new businesses in one of the country’s hottest medical marijuana markets – or risk being held in contempt.

Scott’s administration filed the notice to appeal Friday less than three hours before a 5 p.m. ET deadline, the News Service of Florida reported.

The governor, who is in a tight race to unseat U.S. Senator Bill Nelson, a Democrat, consulted with Republican legislators and MMJ operators, according to the news service.

Here’s the situation:

• Leon County Circuit Charles Dodson recently ruled the state law restricting the number of medical marijuana businesses is unconstitutional.
• Florida has approved licenses for 14 vertically integrated MMJ operators, each of which can open up to 25 dispensaries across the state. But the state has been slow to approve additional licenses.
• The judge’s ruling called for the state to license additional MMJ operators, including Tampa-based Florigrown, which was the plaintiff in the case.
• The judge’s ruling, if upheld, would open Florida’s market to more MMJ businesses and boost competition. “Obviously the current license holders want to protect their interests and value, which is based on this limited licensing scheme,” Florida cannabis attorney Matthew Ginder of Greenspoon Marder told Marijuana Business Daily.

Don't ALL "current license holders" want to protect their interest and value? From taxis to hair stylists, licensees would rather Uber/Lyft or women who braid corn rows in hair to disappear and accept the use of licensing to make the magic happen.

Regulation =/= Legalization.

 

[macbill]

Florida bill repealing ban on smokable medical marijuana headed to governor's desk

The Florida legislature passed a bill that will repeal the state’s ban on medical marijuana in smokable form.

The bill now heads to Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) to sign, just two days before the deadline he imposed is set to pass, according to the Miami Herald.

 

[Tranquility]

Florida man is really a cop!

https://www.nbc-2.com/story/4080320...edical-marijuana-after-you-leave-a-dispensary

Hundreds of Florida residents are now medical marijuana card holders and use the drug.

Attorneys are becoming concerned these patients could fall victim to law enforcement overreach and have their rights violated and not even know it.

Medical marijuana users leave the doors of dispensaries and get into their cars.

Attorneys said if they’re pulled over by police in a traffic stop they aren’t legally required to volunteer any information about their cannabis use or if they are a cardholder, unless the officer has probable cause.

Cape Coral medical marijuana patient Mark Cohan is one of hundreds who transports marijuana in their car after leaving the newly opened Liberty Health Sciences dispensary on Southeast 47th Terrace.

He has some concerns if he’s pulled over about what he legally has to tell police.

“At first I’d be obviously a little uncomfortable. There’s nothing I can do about it though, so I’d have to proceed normally. I believe once you’re stopped, you have the right to ask why you were stopped, but after that, if he wants to proceed and go ahead and ask if you have anything in your car, I believe you should answer that with full honesty. There is some concern there, but I do hope that the card, you know, offers some protection,” Cohan said.

Fort Myers attorney Scot Goldberg said that predicament shouldn’t happen in the first place.

“They (police) have got to understand there is HIPPA problems, there’s probable cause problems, and there’s Fourth Amendment problems,” Goldberg said.

Goldberg said before a police officer has the right to question you about drugs and search your car, they need overwhelming probable cause.

“Come up to the car and they smell a strong odor of marijuana. Okay, that gives them the right at that point to question you about, 'I smell marijuana coming from your car. Have you smoked it recently? Are you a medical marijuana patient?” Goldberg said.

Without probable cause, Goldberg said a police officer asking if you use marijuana medically as a means to enter your vehicle is police overreach.

“Just out of blue are they going to ask me if I have a medical marijuana card. I think that’s an unconstitutional question,” Goldberg said.

Police reports from Cape Coral police document that officers have asked drivers the question prior to searches.

Goldberg said each traffic stop is different. Police are not in the wrong all the time, but the potential they could violate people’s rights is greater on this topic because there is little to no case law on how to deal with medical marijuana cardholders during drug searches.

“As the community is being educated, I think law enforcement is going to have to be educated as well,” Goldberg said.

Patients who use cannabis said the dispensaries emphasize that their customers not use products and then drive or operate machinery. Dosages can impair you if you’ve not adjusted yet or are taking the wrong quantity.

In that scenario, attorneys said police could have the right to arrest you for DUI if they deem your impairment endangers the public while you are operating a vehicle.



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