As Florida’s 2018 legislative session comes to a close, its time to review legislative changes to Florida’s medical marijuana laws.

First, Florida’s Senate passed HB 6049,  This bill removes the requirement that the Florida medical marijuana license (Florida has a vertical licensing system) reserved for a Black farmer must go to a Black farmer who is a member of the Black Farmers and Agriculturalists Association.

As I explained in my earlier posts (here and here), Columbus Smith, a Black farmer from Panama City, filed a lawsuit challenging the law implementing Amendment Two (medical marijuana) alleging that the law was unconstitutional.

Second, the Florida legislature has withheld funds for the Florida Department of Health (putting the funds in reserve) in an effort to spur the Department of Health to move more quickly on regulations implementing Amendment Two (medical marijuana) which passed in 2016.