Dara Kam - News Service of Florida

The health department issues a “written notice of intent” for Terry Donnell Gwinn of Suwannee County, setting the stage for what could be protracted litigation over the sought-after opportunity to join the medical pot industry.

Medicaid beneficiaries receiving gender-affirming care are now responsible for paying the costs. The four plantiffs, including two children, say the treatments are “medically necessary, safe and effective.”

The judge called out the DeSantis administration's foot-dragging as he issued a concurring opinion in an appeal by Louis Del Favero Orchids, which has long sought a license for a treatment center.

The dosing and supply caps came nearly six years after voters approved a constitutional amendment broadly legalizing medical marijuana and more than three years after the Legislature authorized smokable marijuana.

With nearly 800,000 approved medical marijuana patients among a population of more than 22 million residents, investors are eagerly awaiting the chance to plant stakes in the state.

Attorneys representing individuals and groups say they plan to file a federal lawsuit challenging the rule, which went into effect Sunday.

A proposed amendment has been filed with the state's Division of Elections in an effort to get it placed on the 2024 ballot.

The decision came after the Florida Department of Health last month filed a petition asking the medical board to initiate a rule-making process on the contentious issue.

Seven out-of-state scientists and a Yale law professor say the proposal ignores “established science” and relies on "biased and discredited sources, stereotyping and purported ‘expert’ reports that carry no scientific weight.”

Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried has long championed medical marijuana, now legal in Florida. Her office also issues concealed weapons licenses. Her lawsuit cites a federal form that must be completed by people seeking to purchase guns.