TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida lawmakers added $13.3 million to the agency that regulates medical cannabis, but not before expressing frustration for the not-so-smooth rollout of state’s law.
Republicans and Democrats on the Joint Legislative Budget Commission lectured Office of Medical Marijuana Use officials on Thursday, July 19, 2018, over the need to come back for the money just 19 days after the new state budget went into effect.
Republican state Sen. Rob Bradley said he was frustrated that it’s taking so long to get the state’s medical marijuana system in place.
Medical cannabis regulators asked for the money to review license applications, produce patient identification cards, fight lawsuits, and to complete a “seed-to-sale” marijuana tracking system.
Floridians overwhelmingly approved Measure 2, a constitutional amendment authorizing medical cannabis, with 71 percent of the vote in 2016 and the Legislature approved a law to regulate it in 2017.