Many people are observing this weekend on April 20th. Once an unconventional celebration, advocates, lawmakers and businesses across the country now use the day to push for the legalization of marijuana for medical and recreational purposes.
For years, Florida has had a complicated relationship with cannabis.
Many changes have occurred over the years, and more are expected. But what does this mean for our state? And how did we get here?
Here, we take a closer look at the history and potential future of cannabis in Florida.
It has an indistinguishable aroma and an unmistakable appearance – cannabis, more commonly known as marijuana, hemp, or weed. According to the National Institutes of Health, recreational marijuana originated in the United States in the 20th century. In the 1970s, it was classified as a Schedule 1 substance, the same as heroin.
“I started at a young age before it was legalized. I was selling weed in little bags and it evolved into a way to support myself by smoking it for free,” Randy Lanier said.
Lanier was a prominent professional race car driver in the '80s who grew up in Miami. In his memoir, Survival of the Fastest, he recalls his early years as a young man, smuggling cannabis to finance his racing career, and his downfall.
Lanier told NBC6 at the annual Benzinga conference that he won Rookie of the Year in Indianapolis in 1987 and was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
“I was charged with importing and distributing marijuana here in the United States,” Lanier said.
The 33-year-old was jailed and charged under the Continuing Criminal Enterprises Act.
Mr. Lanier was released at the age of 60.
In the past 10 years of freedom, he says he has seen a lot of changes, adding: “This plant should not carry the stigma it has had for generations.”
“Now it's even more advanced because scientists and doctors are starting to understand that this is a healing plant.”
Currently, Florida has 28 dispensaries reported in Broward County and 40 in Miami-Dade as of April, according to Weedmaps, a cannabis technology platform founded in 2008.
All of these are licensed and considered medical marijuana treatment centers (MMTCs).
Marijuana became legal for medical use for certain patients in 2014 under the Compassionate Use Act. A year later, Trulieve became the first company to receive a license to sell medical marijuana in Florida.
“Florida has made incredible progress in terms of patient access, so when we first got licensed, we got licensed in a very limited capacity. And Congress has actually slowly expanded that to include terminally ill patients,” Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers said. spoke.
regulation
Since Florida's medical marijuana legalization initiative was passed in 2016, it now covers more than a dozen conditions.
But how does the state ensure the safety of these products being sold? And down to the code?
In the state, licensed medical marijuana dispensaries must operate completely vertically, meaning they oversee the cultivation, processing, dispensing, and distribution of the product.
Third-party laboratory testing is also performed to ensure that the products are free of pesticides and heavy metals, and that the ingredients listed in the products are accurate.
But what about hemp?
According to Britannica, hemp and marijuana both come from the same cannabis species.
But they are not the same.
In the United States, the term hemp refers to cannabis with a THC content of 0.3 percent or less, while marijuana has a THC content of more than 0.3 percent.
According to the University of Florida, the United States passed a farm bill in 2014 that allowed state universities and state agencies to conduct hemp production pilot programs.
But in 2018, Florida passed its own farm bill that issued licenses and regulations to farmers to grow their own crops.
According to hemp entrepreneur Patrick Masucci, the law “requires all products to be lab tested to ensure total THC levels are less than 0.3%.” Must be batched, must have an expiration date, and must show lab testing of the product to ensure it is safe to consume or that its potency is legal over the counter potency requires a QR code to be scanned. And it really cleaned up the industry a little bit. ”
Masucci operates drug bureaus, retail chains, and retail stores. And his business is only permitted to sell hemp-derived products.
However, there have been attempts to impose further regulation in both the hemp and marijuana areas, including legislation aimed at lowering the threshold for THC hemp consumption.
important vote
But first, big changes could be coming to the state this year.
Amendment 3, which is expected to be voted on in the future, could legalize recreational use of marijuana for people 21 and older.
Gov. Ron DeSantis voiced his opposition Wednesday at a news conference in Hialeah Gardens: “Your lives are going to be affected by this. The quality of life in our community is going to change.”
If passed, it would allow medical marijuana dispensaries to sell their products to the public.
This is the only customer base that Masucci can sell hemp products to.
“I think it's going to be more competition for us. I think competition is good. I think it allows us all to improve the quality of our games and products,” Masucci said. spoke.
If Amendment 3 passes, will it mean Florida will become a national hub for purchasing marijuana?
“Once recreation passes, what happens is that the total available market is huge. Florida has 20 million residents and 120 million tourists come to Florida. 21 years and older Everyone will have access to recreational cannabis,” explains Dustin Robinson, known as Mr. Cannabis Law, who provides legal support to the cannabis and psychedelic industries.
“So basically the demand is going to explode and with less than 900,000 patients, we're going to get out of the oversupply and underdemand situation that we're in right now, where the demand is going to be higher than the supply. The situation will be reversed.”
He said medical marijuana centers currently operating must adhere to strict restrictions on who can own the company, the employees they have and the real estate they need to operate.
But the flip side is that Florida allows these centers to open an unlimited number of pharmacies.
As such, he doesn't think people looking to enter the field will be able to obtain a license anytime soon, and if November's amendments are passed, that will only become more difficult.
“There's no limit to the amount of competition you can participate in, because if I have a license and my opponent raises more money than me, he could raise $200 million and open hundreds of facilities. And if I can't do that, even if I raise capital, I can't do it,'' Robinson explains.
It's the same fear that Masucci has.
He doesn't currently sell marijuana, but he may consider applying for a license if Amendment 3 passes.
But now his concern is with bill SB 1698, which would limit the amount of delta-9-THC hemp extract to 5 milligrams per serving and 50 milligrams per container.
Masucci explains that hundreds of products won't even be available for sale. “What this would do is make almost all of the marketable THC products that our industry has been successful in selling illegal in one fell swoop, making us a felon if we did.” Ta. ”
He is also concerned about the impact on the state's cannabis economy.
“I believe there are over 5,000 fully licensed cannabis businesses in Florida, and an estimated 60,000 jobs associated with this industry are at risk of being virtually completely eliminated,” Masucci said. be concerned.
SB 1698, currently awaiting its way to the governor's desk, does not affect marijuana products or medical marijuana centers.
However, the Third Amendment does. If approved with at least 60% of the vote in November. Congress would still need to establish a framework of regulatory standards and specify when, where, and how marijuana can be consumed.
There are penalties for anyone attempting to sell marijuana without the proper license.
In February, Miami Beach introduced criminal penalties for smoking marijuana in public, including up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.
In Miami, possession or distribution of 20 grams or less of marijuana can be punishable by up to one year in prison or a $1,000 fine.
And in Broward County, anyone who sells marijuana without a permit from the Medical Marijuana Department can face a felony charge.
Changes expected to occur in November say Florida needs to prepare for what could be a new wave of cannabis customers.
“Right now, we don't even have enough tree canopy growing in the state of Florida to meet the projected recreational demand. So there's going to be a lot of capital coming into Florida, a lot of construction, a lot of innovation. “I guess so,” Robinson said.
If Amendment 3 is passed, it will come into effect from May 5, 2025.
