After months of waiting, five new medical marijuana growers won’t be getting their state-issued licenses to cultivate and sell the state’s newest prescription drug on time. On Friday, state officials said Florida will miss the deadline to dole out five new licenses to cultivate and sell medical marijuana in the Sunshine State.
According to a recently-passed law, state health officials were supposed to distribute 10 medical marijuana licenses by Oct. 3 -- Tuesday -- to new growers attempting to capitalize on the state’s fast-growing and highly competitive medical marijuana industry.
Now it appears those growers hoping to cash in on the growing market will have to wait a little longer for their “in” to the medical marijuana business.
STATE BY STATE: Florida Cannabis News
Christian Bax, the executive director of the state’s medical marijuana office, said Friday there would be a delay in issuing the licenses in part due to Hurricane Irma and a recently-filed lawsuit from a black farmer which alleges a portion of the state’s new medical marijuana law is unconstitutional.
Last month, a black farmer from Panama City filed a lawsuit against the legislation in Leon County circuit court, alleging the state’s newest law on medical marijuana is unconstitutional because it is “unfairly” narrow.
The farmer, Columbus Smith, said there are so many restrictions that only a very small number of black farmers can qualify to get one of the coveted licenses to grow medical marijuana in Florida.
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