Florida is one of the latest states to introduce new medical marijuana
laws. This landmark change will introduce no shortage of questions, including
who will actually supply the cannabis nurseries with marijuana.
Providing the marijuana is not a clear-cut issue, despite the bill’s
passing. Marijuana remains classified as a Schedule I controlled substance
under the provisions of the federal government. This classification means
the drug is illegal to transport over state boundaries.
Earlier statements made by Rep. Matt Gaetz, a co-sponsor of the new medical
marijuana bill, imply that providers are not entirely guaranteed immunity.
Nurseries may need to devise creative methods to supply their wares their
wares, methods that potentially skirt federal legislation.
Will This Really Be a Clear-Cut Solution?
State Rep. Katie Edwards, the other co-sponsor of the bill, believes an
academic loophole through the University of Florida could provide the
answer. Citing the language of the bill, Edwards underscores the university’s
involvement with different distribution agencies. This relationship could
open the door to coordinated distribution from the University of Mississippi,
a land-grant university already playing host to a federal marijuana farm.
Nursery owners are refuting the possibility they’ll take measures
into their own hands. Florida has yet to provide an answer as to how it
will legally secure marijuana seeds, plants or tissue cultures to stock
the nurseries. The ambiguous state of affairs has left many eager growers
indecisive over whether to apply for one of the newly available dispensary
licenses through the Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act.
The
Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act was instituted to address the medical needs of individuals such as sufferers
of severe forms of epilepsy and Dravets Syndrome. Research suggests THC,
the chemical component in marijuana responsible for the ‘high’,
can be effective in providing partial treatment.
While the new law has laid a foundation for legal medical marijuana use
in Florida, the law will require additional provisions before nurseries
can operate with impunity.
(Story originally provided by
Sun Sentinel.)