Second time, same story. Two days after a Leon County circuit court judge ordered the state to allow the smoking of medical marijuana, the Florida Department of Health has persuaded an appeals court to expedite their review.
The First District Court of Appeal on Thursday gave marijuana supporters until Friday at 3 p.m. to “show cause” why the court should not stay the ruling by Judge Karen Gievers, which lifted the stay on her previous ruling that halted the ban on medical marijuana. Until then, the First DCA says there will be an automatic stay on Gievers’ ruling lifting the stay of her ruling which said that the law banning smokable marijuana is unconstitutional.
Confusing? No kidding.
Gievers gave the state until Monday, June 11, to get working on a process that makes smokable medical marijuana available to patients whose doctors authorize it. Gov. Rick Scott and the Department of Health appealed that ruling, asking the court to halt it until the court handles to appeal of her ruling that the law is unconstitutional. Gievers said in her order, however, the odds are unlikely they will win.
We’ll know tomorrow. Stay tuned.
