Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Wants Medical Cannabis Operators to Pay More to State

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis wants medical cannabis operators to pay more to do business in the state.

DeSantis told reporters that the state of Florida "should charge these people more," according to CBS News. The Republican governor noted that the licenses to do such business in the state are very "viable licenses."

He added that everyone wanted those licenses. It was not unclear if the Florida governor was referring to existing medical cannabis companies in the state or businesses trying to gain entry into the state.

Insiders claimed that the state of Florida has the possibility to become the nation's "most robust cannabis market." Investors are eyeing the move with around 800,000 approved medical cannabis patients in the population of more than 22 million Florida residents.

The 2017 law created a framework for the medical cannabis industry. The law states that health officials should have issued at least another 22 licenses to keep up with the patients' population.

Medical Cannabis Operators' Licenses in Florida

South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported that companies also pay $60,000 every two years to renew their licenses, which have routinely increased by $40 million.

Ron DeSantis then asked why the state should not make money based on the opportunity of medical cannabis. He then noted that he would require a statutory change through the Legislature.

The 2017 law limits how much the Department of Health can charge companies for licenses and renewals. The law only authorizes the state to charge fees to cover the costs of administering the medical cannabis program, including a research program and a public health campaign.

A founder and CEO of Green Sentry, Brady Cobb, told Sun-Sentinel that raising application and renewal fees "would be unfortunate."

The Department of Health is seen to launch a new round of applications for licenses soon. However, the state has not laid out a timeline yet. At least 150 applicants are expected to submit their applications.

Medical Cannabis in Florida

Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried has criticized Florida's medical cannabis program changes. Fried told Florida Politics that Ron DeSantis is hurting patients every day.

Fried is a medical cannabis patient and former marijuana lobbyist. She noted that a Black farmer was still waiting for "that license" that should have been handed out in 2017.

She added that the Office of Medical Marijuana Use in Florida should have given many more licenses but has not. As of now, a total of 22 Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers or companies provide care for around 750,000 patients in the state.

The Agriculture Commissioner noted that Florida should grant 16 new licenses. She added that with every 100,000 new patients, there should be four new licenses.

In 2019, eight new licenses were issued months into DeSantis' term. At the time, the medical cannabis program had just over 200,000 patients, which is less than a third of the current patient population.

In 2022, the legislation to include telehealth for medical cannabis failed despite bipartisan support.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

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