Medical-marijuana licenses

Under the emergency rule released Friday, 22 licenses will be available, adding to the 22 currently licensed operators. The department will accept applications between April 24 and April 28.

Louis Del Favero Orchids' latest lawsuit follows a September ruling by the 1st District Court of Appeal that sided with the Department of Health and upheld a lower court’s dismissal of a case filed by the company.

The health department issues a “written notice of intent” for Terry Donnell Gwinn of Suwannee County, beating out 11 other applicants competing for a license earmarked for a Black farmer, a 2017 requirement from the “Pigford” lawsuits.

The judge called out the DeSantis administration's foot-dragging as he issued a concurring opinion in an appeal by Louis Del Favero Orchids, which has long sought a license for a treatment center.

The Florida Department of Health last year began moving forward with rules to award the license and scheduled an application period in March.

In 2017, one medical marijuana license was set aside specifically for a Black farmer and has not yet been given out. This month, the Florida Department of Health put out an emergency rule specifying how Black farmers can apply for that license. Florida Agriculture Commissioner and gubernatorial candidate Nikki Fried wants the state to revisit its rule.

Black farmers that were part of the Pigford class action suit must pay a fee of $146,000, more than double that paid by others. Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried wants an investigation into the rule's intent.

With the industry poised to mushroom, health regulators are asking lawmakers for nearly $13 million to more than double the number of workers in the office that oversees medical marijuana issues.

The state will kick off the rulemaking process for Black farmer applicants within “weeks to months” and set the stage for another set of licenses that would nearly double the number of operators.

News Service of Florida Raising nearly identical arguments, three firms are asking a state appeals court to order the Florida Department of Health to...