Page 13 - Cannabis News Dec 2018

Back Cover Story: Forecast For

Legalizing Marijuana - Partly Cloudy,

But Slowly Clearing

Continued from back cover.
Nikki Fried’s election as Agriculture
Senate Commissioner is a step forward for the pro-
In the Senate, Judiciary Chairman ponents of marijuana legalization in this
Charles Grassley (R-IA), a staunch oppo- state. Prior to her election, Ms. Fried was a
nent of legalizing marijuana, will be leav- lobbyist for marijuana industry interests in
ing that key position. In his place, Senator Florida. It is not clear how much influence
Lindsey Graham (R-SC) will assume the Ms. Fried will have on Florida’s develop-
chairmanship of the Judiciary Committee. ment of its medical marijuana regulatory
Senator Graham has been, and is expected scheme.
to remain, a supporter of a number of The new Governor, Ron DeSantis, is not
measures to reform this country’s laws expected to be as resistant to legalizing
concerning marijuana. marijuana for medicinal purposes as his
predecessor, Rick Scott.
Executive Branch Ashley Moody, Florida’s incoming
The end of Attorney General Jeff Attorney General, is a supporter of Pam
Sessions’ tenure may be the start of a shift Bondi’s positions; including her resistance
in the Executive Branch’s position. Both to increasing the availability of medical
before and during his time in office, marijuana.
Attorney General Sessions was a vocal
opponent of any measure to end classifica- Elsewhere
tion of marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug, or In Michigan, voters approved the use of
even to investigate whether that was the recreational marijuana - the first Mid -
appropriate classification. His possible western state to do so. Voters in Utah and
successors include Chris Christie, former Missouri approved medical marijuana ini-
governor of New Jersey, and current tiatives. This brings the total number of
Florida Attorney General, Pam Bondi. states that have legalized some form of mar-
Neither is viewed as favoring marijuana ijuana use to 33. Ten of these states, plus
legalization. However, it seems unlikely the District of Columbia, permit mari juana
either will be any more hostile to marijua- to be used recreationally.
na legalization efforts than Mr. Sessions. To summarize, for the next two years in
President Trump is reported to favor leg- Florida it appears that use of marijuana will
islation that will permit the issue of mari- remain limited to medical purposes.
juana use to be decided on a state-by-state Ironically, the best hope of further liberal-
basis, similar to the bill introduced by ization is at the federal level. There a
Representative Joyce (discussed above). change in control of the House and person-
nel in the Executive Branch offers the best
Florida chance for loosening the federal position
With no substantial change in the bal- on possessing and using marijuana.
ance of power in the Florida House and
Senate, it seems unlikely the Legislature Stephen H. Siegel, Esq., Of Counsel, Nelson
will be the source of any further liberaliza- Mullins Broad and Cassel, can be reached at
tion for the next two years. stephen.siegel@nelsonmullins.com
The situation in Florida’s executive or (305) 373-9424.
branch is slightly more positive.

36 December 2018 southfloridahospitalnews.com South Florida Hospital News