Florida senators will begin hashing out possible medical marijuana laws this week.
There are five competing bills just in the Florida Senate on how the state should implement a medical marijuana amendment. The Florida Senate’s Health Policy Committee under Senator Dana Young will start the medical marijuana debate.
Florida voters overwhelmingly approved a broader medical marijuana program for patients last election.
With five competing bills to implement Amendment 2, the big question is how permissive to make the market. Florida has seven nurseries that grow, process and sell medical cannabis. Should lawmakers make use of the existing system? Or should Florida start over?
Gulf Coast Canna Meds CEO Tom Murphy wants to get into the medical marijuana business. He plans to speak to the committee.
“We want more permits, more licenses, and we want to do away with the vertically integrated market because it’s in restraint of trade,” Murphy said. “It flies in the face of everything we know as Americans and Floridians of free enterprise.”
The legislature faces an October deadline to put Amendment 2 into action.