Waiting for Medical Marijuana in Florida

(Winter 2017) Lawsuits are slowing down the roll-out of Florida’s medical marijuana program, says Christian Bax, who heads the state’s initiative. At least 52,000 residents of the Sunshine State suffering from ongoing ailments have registered for access to the drug and are waiting for Amendment 2 — passed overwhelmingly by 71% of Florida’s voters in 2016 — to be fully enacted.

John Morgan, a high-profile Orlando lawyer who assisted in writing the medical marijuana amendment, is currently contemplating a run for the Florida governor’s office in 2018. He is accusing Bax of deliberately dragging his feet on getting Florida’s medical marijuana system ready to launch and calling for Bax to be removed from office. Morgan has also said he believes the slow-down with this program could harm Republican Florida Governor Rick Scott’s chances in the upcoming Senate campaign he’s anticipated to announce.

Bax, continues to stress his commitment to getting the state’s medical marijuana program up and running, and he recently announced that his department gave the nod to two new marijuana grow sites.

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