The Florida Supreme Court heard a second round of arguments Oct. 7 in a case that challenges the constitutionality of the state’s 2017 medical cannabis law, according to the Miami Herald.
Tampa-based Florigrown LLC filed the lawsuit three years ago, alleging that the law improperly implemented a 2016 constitutional amendment that broadly legalized medical cannabis in the state, particularly when it comes to a requirement that all medical cannabis operators be vertically integrated.
Lower courts have sided with Florigrown in the case, and the new round of arguments come after Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration filed an appeal when an appellate court upheld a temporary injunction issued by Leon County Circuit Judge Charles Dodson, who ruled that Florida’s medical cannabis law conflicts with the constitutional amendment, according to the Miami Herald.
The Florida Supreme Court heard the case in May, but ordered a second round of arguments in July. The new hearing focused on whether the state’s medical cannabis law is an unconstitutional “special law,” which is generally intended to benefit specific entities and is prohibited under Florida law.
Judges appeared split on the law’s constitutionality during the Oct. 7 hearing, the Miami Herald reported.
