The Florida Department of Health laid out how much a new medical marijuana program could cost Monday. The agency would oversee the program if voters approve it under a possible 2016 ballot measure.
The DOH’s Marco Paredes said the total cost for the program’s first year would be almost $3 million.
That would drop down to roughly $2.7 million the following year.
Dollars would go toward things like hiring inspectors for the nearly 2,000 treatment centers it expects throughout the state.
Paredes spoke before a panel of state economists and broadcast on the Florida Channel. He said the projections could change.
“We based all this on limited information regarding how the program would be implemented as these estimates could change based on the amendment passing and what we’re then required to implement,” he said.
The ballot initiative is being pushed by high-profile lawyer John Morgan and the organization People United for Medical Marijuana.
The petition is now before the Florida Supreme Court for review.
