Florida To Double Number Of MMJ Licenses, Gov. DeSantis’ Admin Confirms

“This is an exciting milestone for Florida’s medical cannabis program, more than five years in the making. These additional licenses are an important step in moving the program forward for Florida’s patients and future licensees,” Courtney Coppola, a former director of the  Office of Medical Marijuana Use, told The News Service of Florida.

Florida's Medical marijuana sales have boomed recently with $201.6 million in October 2022. In the first six months of the prior year, sales exceeded $1 billion, per Headset data. 

Colorado Lawmakers Consider Withdrawing Some Medical Marijuana Limitations

Colorado senators plan to discuss Thursday a proposal to withdraw some of the limitations on medical marijuana enacted in 2022, responding to patient advocates requests.

"We’ve had a very difficult year with patients losing access to products that were working well for them in the past," said Martha Montemayor, who helps people apply for medical marijuana cards in her clinics (from Denver to Montrose). 

Under the law that was enacted in 2022, physicians are required to examine patients in person and recommend specified dosages, potency, and products, with limits on how much cannabis concentrates they can buy in one day.

According to Rachel O’Bryan, co-founder of One Chance to Grow Up, which pushed for the law, the rules were proposed to protect both patients and teenagers who were previously acquiring marijuana and sharing it. O’Bryan further claims that this has worked, seeing 50% fewer medical marijuana cards for 18-20 year-olds in the state.

On the other hand, Montemayor argues that the law limits all patients, with many dropping out of the program. She proposes some compromises: drop the requirement that physicians must see patients in person, except for 10-20-year-old first-time applicants, but also remove the requirement for specified recommendations on dosage and concentrate purchase limits.

New Yorkers On Probation Not Allowed To Use Prescribed Medical Marijuana

Despite medical marijuana being legalized in New York back in 2014, some people on probation are not allowed to use it. That’s right, not even for medical purposes.

“People that are sentenced to probation in this Adirondack region, are being denied use of their prescribed marijuana,” said Julie Garcia, a lawyer in Warren County. To Garcia’s knowledge, this is also affecting individuals in Warren, Essex and Clinton Counties.

Garcia pointed out that the problem is that this could lead to higher use of opioids, writes News 10.

Two years ago, she filed a motion against Warren County on behalf of Justin Dunning who was charged with criminal mischief in the third degree and one-year probation. One part of his probation conditions reads: “The use and/or possession of marijuana is prohibited for the duration of the probation sentence whether or not, it is prescribed for medical purposes.”

Dunning was prescribed medical cannabis for chronic pain after back surgery and did not want to change from MMJ to opioids while on probation. The first motion was opposed, with the Warren County judge denying the medicine, but Garcia didn’t stop there. She re-argued the motion in front of a new judge, which allowed Dunning to continue to use medical marijuana while on probation.

Minnesota Cannabis Legislation Passes 4th Senate Committee

Minnesota has “an opportunity to undo some of the harm that has been done and to create a system of regulation that works for Minnesota consumers and Minnesota businesses while ensuring an opportunity in this new market for communities that have been most affected by prohibition,” Senate Assistant Majority Leader Erin Murphy (D) said at the Monday hearing.

Photo: Benzinga edit with images from AJEL, lindsayfox on Pixabay