medical marijuana laws | The Health Law Firm Blog

Florida DOH Claims Orchid Nursery Has No Constitutional Protection In Marijuana Licenses

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law
On August 27, 2020, the Florida Department of Health (DOH) argued to the United States Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals that a Florida nursery can’t claim the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects its right to marijuana licenses. The DOH urged the appellate court to uphold the dismissal of Louis Del Favero Orchids’ suit because, it claimed, the U.S. Constitution doesn’t cover a property interest in a business that is illegal under federal law. This seems to be a rather hypocritical argument in that the counter-question could be “How can the state […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T09:59:46-04:00March 15, 2021|Health Facilities Law Blog|

Florida Department of Health Claims Orchid Nursery Has No Constitutional Protection In Pot Licenses

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law
On August 27, 2020, the Florida Department of Health (DOH) argued to the United States Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals that a Florida nursery can’t claim the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects its right to marijuana licenses. The DOH urged the appellate court to uphold the dismissal of Louis Del Favero Orchids’ suit because, it claimed, the U.S. Constitution doesn’t cover a property interest in a business that is illegal under federal law. This seems to be a rather hypocritical argument in that the counter-question could be “How can the […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T09:59:49-04:00February 17, 2021|Mental Health Law Blog|

Florida Department of Health Claims Orchid Nursery Has No Constitutional Protection In Pot Licenses

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law
On August 27, 2020, the Florida Department of Health (DOH) argued to the United States Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals that a Florida nursery can’t claim the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects its right to marijuana licenses. The DOH urged the appellate court to uphold the dismissal of Louis Del Favero Orchids’ suit because, it claimed, the U.S. Constitution doesn’t cover a property interest in a business that is illegal under federal law. This seems to be a rather hypocritical argument in that the counter-question could be “How can the state of […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T09:59:55-04:00September 8, 2020|Marijuana Law Blog|

Florida Appeals Court Says Medical Marijuana Statute Unconstitutional

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

On July 9, 2019, a Florida appellate court ruled that the Florida Legislature’s approach to regulating medical marijuana is unconstitutional. If the ruling stands, it would require state health officials to begin registering medical-marijuana firms to do business and lift existing caps on how many medical marijuana treatment centers can operate in Florida.

Changes to Florida’s Medical Marijuana Legislation.

The First District Court of Appeal said on July 9, 2019, that the Florida Legislature’s law conflicts with the amendment to the Florida Constitution, specifically, the portion […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:12-04:00July 15, 2019|Marijuana Law Blog|

Florida House Passes Bill to End the Smoking Ban on Medical Marijuana

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

On March 13, 2019, two days before Gov. DeSantis’ deadline to end Florida’s smoking ban on medical marijuana, the House finally passed the legislation. Florida lawmakers affirmed the right of patients to smoke medical marijuana. The vote was 101 to 11 in favor of revoking the ban. The House approved a Senate bill to include “smoking” in the language. The bill allows patients to receive up to 2.5 ounces of whole flower cannabis every 35 days as recommended by a licensed physician.

“Smoking” Medical Marijuana.

Florida voters originally approved medical marijuana in an amendment to the Florida Constitution […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:14-04:00May 23, 2019|Marijuana Law Blog|

Florida Governor Officially Legalizes Smoking Medical Marijuana

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

On March 18, 2019, Gov. Ron DeSantis officially signed a bill into law allowing the use of smokable medical marijuana by eligible patients. The governor’s signature on legislative bill SB 182, “Medical Use of Marijuana,” was the first he has approved since taking office in January 2019 and was a top priority for the newly elected governor. Additionally, he filed a joint motion to dismiss People United for Medical Marijuana v. Department of Health, a case in which the Florida Department of Health (DOH) […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:16-04:00March 25, 2019|Marijuana Law Blog|

Florida House Passes Bill to Allow Smoking Medical Marijuana

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

On March 13, 2019, two days before Gov. DeSantis’ deadline to pass a bill repealing Florida’s ban on smoking medical marijuana, the House finally passed the legislation. Florida lawmakers affirmed the right of patients to smoke medical marijuana. The vote was 101 to 11 in favor of revoking the ban. The House approved a Senate bill to include “smoking” in the language. The bill allows patients to receive up to 2.5 ounces of whole flower cannabis every 35 days as recommended by a […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:17-04:00March 14, 2019|Marijuana Law Blog|

Florida DOH Challenges Ruling to Eliminate Cap on Medical Pot Dispensaries

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

On February 15, 2019, the Florida Department of Health (DOH) appealed a circuit judge’s ruling on a law that capped the number of medical marijuana licenses and dispensaries in the state. Attorneys for the DOH filed a notice that said they were challenging a February 2019, ruling by Leon County Circuit Judge Karen Gievers. This action seems somewhat hypocritical, given Governor DeSantis’s recent statements. After all, he appoints the Florida Surgeon General, who is also the head of […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:17-04:00February 22, 2019|Marijuana Law Blog|

Florida Governor: Crush Out Pot Smoking Ban

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

On January 17, 2019, new Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said that the Florida State Legislature should end its losing efforts to keep in place a ban on smoking medical pot or he will end the state’s defense of the “no smoking” policy in a pending lawsuit. The current lawsuit was brought because the state Legislature and former administration was taking the position that medical marijuana could not be smoked, despite the amendment to the Florida Constitution that was passed making medical marijuana legal. The constitutional amendment does not say anything at all about […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:19-04:00January 22, 2019|marijuana law, Marijuana Law Blog|

Colorado Jury Rules in Favor of Marijuana Grow Business in Federal RICO Lawsuit

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

On November 14, 2018, a federal jury in Denver rejected claims involving the odor that was allegedly coming from a pot farm. This was a case that was being closely watched by the marijuana industry. The marijuana business had been sued for damages to neighboring property value under anti-racketeering laws.

Given the recent approval of medical marijuana in Florida, it seems likely that there would be “copy cat lawsuits” filed in Florida, as well. The only difference in Florida would be the long history of pig farm precedents that exist.

A Closely Watched Lawsuit.

This was an important suit […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:19-04:00December 28, 2018|Marijuana Law Blog|