Christian Bax, the embattled director of the state's Office of Medical Marijuana Use, is resigning after a three-year stint marked by rule-making delays, rocky litigation and continued criticism over patients' problems accessing the drug since medical cannabis was broadly legalized more than a year ago.
In his resignation letter, Bax wrote that he intends to step down no later than Aug. 10. He did not provide a reason for his departure or its timing. Courtney Coppola, the office's deputy director, will take over as interim director, said Devin Galetta, spokesman for the Department of Health.
Bax was appointed in 2015 to lead was then known as the Office of Compassionate Use, though his job application documented only 15 months of experience consulting on medical marijuana issues and his job was not publicly advertised, according to POLITICO Florida. Under his tenure, the office faced a rash of legal and administrative challenges over the state's licensing system for medical marijuana businesses and drew harsh criticism from legislators and patients as the office struggled to accommodate growing patient demand. The state still faces about a dozen pending lawsuits, including one brought by attorney John Morgan over the state Legislature's ban on smokeable medical marijuana.
Top Image: © Onur | Adobe Stock
