The General
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Under the new medical marijuana law, five Florida nurseries will be allowed to grow cannabis. But one very big question remains: How will they get the ganja in the first place? In the federal government's eyes, marijuana remains a Schedule I controlled substance, meaning it's illegal to transport across state lines. "Easiest way to do it is a nondescript white van moving along I-10," said state Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach, co-sponsor of the bill that allows the use of certain strains of marijuana for specific medical purposes. "How these entities get started is clearly not something set forth in the law I passed," he said. "I think anybody looking for some sort of comforting immunity is going to be sadly disappointed.''
State Rep. Katie Edwards, D-Plantation, the bill's other co-sponsor, would have the state procure the plant through the back door of academia. "If you look at the language of the bill and you determine what research and university entity is going to work with these organizations, it's the University of Florida, which is a federal land-grant university," Edwards said. "Now, there is a federal marijuana farm at another land-grant university, the University of Mississippi ... Why wouldn't it be able to get it to the University of Florida and then get it to growers? That sounds more plausible than getting someone to break the law by bringing it in from out of state."
Nursery owners say they have no desire to play Miami Vice. Because the state hasn't figured out how they legally can get seeds, plants or tissue cultures to get started, many growers are unsure whether to apply for one of the five grower/dispensary licenses the state will allow under the Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act? The act legalizes for specific medical purposes any marijuana strain low in THC, the chemical compound that causes marijuana's high, and high in CBD, a different compound shown to have some positive effects on children suffering from severe forms of epilepsy, such as Dravets Syndrome.
But how to get that initial marijuana is "definitely going to have to be ironed out," said Antoine de Vallois, manager of Florida Tuxedo Plants in Miami, who said he is likely to apply for a license. Of the 7,040 nurseries in Florida, de Vallois' nursery is one of just 46 that have met the initial requirements to be one of the five grower/dispensers. The law mandates potential growers must have been in business for at least 30 years and be capable of handling more than 400,000 plants.
Any regulations regarding importation of marijuana will be up to the state Department of Health. If it fails to solve the legal dilemma, who will bite the bullet and bring marijuana into Florida? Gaetz says folks are already lined up. "In one of the hearings where I'm getting tough questions about this very issue and I'm not able to answer them, we had one man," Gaetz said. "Lives in my district and has a son with Dravets Syndrome. His son has never talked. And he stands up and says, 'If you want me to get it, I'll get it right now. Just tell me where it is. I want my son to say I love you.'"
News Moderator - The General @ 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: Sun-sentinel.com
Author: Dan Sweeney
Contact: Contact Us
Website: Florida legislators ask: Who supplies the suppliers of medical marijuana? - Sun Sentinel
State Rep. Katie Edwards, D-Plantation, the bill's other co-sponsor, would have the state procure the plant through the back door of academia. "If you look at the language of the bill and you determine what research and university entity is going to work with these organizations, it's the University of Florida, which is a federal land-grant university," Edwards said. "Now, there is a federal marijuana farm at another land-grant university, the University of Mississippi ... Why wouldn't it be able to get it to the University of Florida and then get it to growers? That sounds more plausible than getting someone to break the law by bringing it in from out of state."
Nursery owners say they have no desire to play Miami Vice. Because the state hasn't figured out how they legally can get seeds, plants or tissue cultures to get started, many growers are unsure whether to apply for one of the five grower/dispensary licenses the state will allow under the Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act? The act legalizes for specific medical purposes any marijuana strain low in THC, the chemical compound that causes marijuana's high, and high in CBD, a different compound shown to have some positive effects on children suffering from severe forms of epilepsy, such as Dravets Syndrome.
But how to get that initial marijuana is "definitely going to have to be ironed out," said Antoine de Vallois, manager of Florida Tuxedo Plants in Miami, who said he is likely to apply for a license. Of the 7,040 nurseries in Florida, de Vallois' nursery is one of just 46 that have met the initial requirements to be one of the five grower/dispensers. The law mandates potential growers must have been in business for at least 30 years and be capable of handling more than 400,000 plants.
Any regulations regarding importation of marijuana will be up to the state Department of Health. If it fails to solve the legal dilemma, who will bite the bullet and bring marijuana into Florida? Gaetz says folks are already lined up. "In one of the hearings where I'm getting tough questions about this very issue and I'm not able to answer them, we had one man," Gaetz said. "Lives in my district and has a son with Dravets Syndrome. His son has never talked. And he stands up and says, 'If you want me to get it, I'll get it right now. Just tell me where it is. I want my son to say I love you.'"
News Moderator - The General @ 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: Sun-sentinel.com
Author: Dan Sweeney
Contact: Contact Us
Website: Florida legislators ask: Who supplies the suppliers of medical marijuana? - Sun Sentinel
