Florida Officials Announce 22 New Medical Marijuana Business License Winners, Weeks After Recreational Legalization Failed

“We continue to look forward to working with the governor and legislature to expand access to safe lab-tested cannabis for Floridians.”

By Christine Sexton, Florida Phoenix

Florida is finally awarding 22 highly sought-after medical marijuana licenses nearly 18 months after the applications were submitted and reviewed by state authorities.

The state’s medical marijuana industry is tightly regulated and only those with a license can cultivate, process, and sell medical marijuana. The state announced its decision to award the 22 additional licenses Tuesday after 5 p.m., on the eve of the state being closed in advance of Thanksgiving.

Once the decision is final it will bring to 47 the number of medical marijuana licenses in the state.

But Tuesday’s decision can be and will be appealed, say those involved in the industry. Rejected vendors have 21 days from November 26 to notify the state in writing of their intent to appeal.

“Pretty much anybody who received a denial of license letter is pretty much going to appeal the license. It’s going to hold up the licensing process significantly, because more likely than not the licenses will not be issued until that litigation process is over, and that litigation process might take six months to a year, probably on the longer side,” said Paula Savchenko, attorney and cannabis industry consultant. “And we may see a legislative fix but, obviously, nothing is guaranteed.”

Savchenko represented Belushi’s Farm Florida, which is linked to actor Jim Belushi. He has operated a 93-acre farm in Oregon since 2015 and the Discovery Channel has aired a show centered around Belushi’s efforts in the cannabis business.

Amendment 3

Florida is expanding the medical marijuana market just weeks after Amendment 3 failed to reach the 60 percent threshold needed to pass. The initiative sought to allow the sale of recreational marijuana in the state.

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) campaigned against the amendment and routinely criticized Trulieve, the company that spent more than $140 million on the effort, as having a monopoly on the Florida medical marijuana market. But the company pushed back on the governor’s remarks by urging his administration to finally issue the 22 licenses after months of unexplained delay.

Trulieve issued a statement saying it was pleased the licenses are “finally issued.”

“We continue to look forward to working with the governor and legislature to expand access to safe lab-tested cannabis for Floridians,” the company said in a statement.

Seventy-four applications were submitted to the state from entities seeking the license.

This story was first published by Florida Phoenix.

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Photo courtesy of Brian Shamblen.