Prominent Tampa strip-club owner Joe Redner went to the Florida Supreme Court on Wednesday in a dispute about whether he should be able to grow his own medical marijuana to help fight lung cancer.
Redner’s attorneys filed a notice that is a first step in asking the Supreme Court to take up the case. The 1st District Court of Appeal in April ruled against Redner, who filed the lawsuit seeking to grow marijuana for juicing purposes.
Redner’s doctor ordered a juicing treatment that uses live marijuana plants to prevent a relapse of stage 4 lung cancer, according to court documents.
The lawsuit was based on a 2016 constitutional amendment that broadly legalized medical marijuana. But three-judge panel of the appeals court rejected Redner’s interpretation of the constitutional amendment.
“The term ‘use’ is not defined by the amendment. However, it is clear, when one examines the entire amendment, that ‘use’ does not mean ‘grow’ or ‘process,’ as Mr. Redner argues,” the April ruling said. The notice filed Wednesday does not detail the arguments Redner’s attorneys will make to the Supreme Court.
