Two Bills Could Dismantle Florida’s Medical Marijuana “Cartel”

Here in Florida, companies like Philip Morris and Bacardi aren’t required to cultivate and process raw plant material and then package, distribute, and sell their cigarettes and rum. But for some reason, state law requires medical marijuana producers to operate exactly this way.

As it currently stands, Florida legislation requires the medical marijuana industry to be vertically integrated, meaning facilities that dispense medical marijuana on a retail level also must cultivate, process, and transport their product. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis himself has likened vertical integration to a “cartel.” In July, a Tallahassee appellate court issued a ruling saying the system is unconstitutional. The issue will next be heard by the Florida Supreme Court.

But if the courts don’t dismantle the system soon, lawmakers just might do it first. In recent weeks, two separate bills have been added to Florida’s rapidly growing roster of marijuana-based legislation in an attempt to make the industry function more efficiently.

In the Senate, Democratic state Sen. Perry Thurston has introduced SB 212, which would place restrictions on Florida’s monopolistic practices and encourage diversity within the industry. [Read more at Miami New Times]