A recent social media back-and-forth between cannabis advocates and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis staffer Christina Pushaw got heated as the state prepares to vote on legalization.
Last month Pushaw, a senior management analyst for the governor’s office, posted on X, criticizing the proposed Florida legalization initiative. “[Amendment 3] also doesn’t allow home growing. Why is it that other states that have passed recreational marijuana also allow individuals to home grow, but Florida’s Amendment 3 specifically does NOT? It’s not about ‘freedom,’ it’s corporate greed,” she wrote.
In response, major cannabis player Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers posted: “Great news — it looks like [DeSantis] supports home grow in Florida per his spokesperson! While we could not include it in this amendment due to Florida Supreme Court single subject rules (which he knows), this is absolutely something we can support via implementation in the legislature and with the Governors support we can get it done!”
“Reading comprehension fail,” responded Pushaw.
Florida residents will vote on the initiative in November. DeSantis has been avidly campaigning against the proposal.
Missouri hemp THC ban delayed
An executive order from Missouri Gov. Mike Parson that bans the sale of intoxicating hemp products in Missouri has been delayed after the secretary of state rejected the emergency rulemaking.
According to Missouri Independent, Parson is accusing Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft of denying the rulemaking as retaliation for the governor endorsing another candidate in the GOP gubernatorial primary.
Ashcroft’s office told reporters the rules were rejected because they didn’t meet state criteria for an emergency. If they had been approved, the rules would have been implemented within 10 days and would have skipped the public comment process. Instead, it will now open up for a public comment period that could last up to six months. Following the public comment period, state officials will debate the rules.
However, the state’s health department said it can embargo any product it deems dangerous without administrative oversight, meaning state employees can go into individual retailers and place embargo stickers on products that can only be removed by court order — with or without an emergency rule.
South Dakota weed producers fight hemp
South Dakota medical marijuana operators recently told state lawmakers that intoxicating hemp products are cutting into their sales.
Last month, the South Dakota Medical Marijuana Oversight Committee heard from medical cannabis stakeholders that sales of delta-8 and delta-10 THC are hurting the demand for medical weed since they can be purchased without a patient card.
The state has passed a law banning the sale of certain THC isomers, but it is being challenged in court. According to South Dakota Searchlight, medical producers said there are other forms of THC that the law didn’t affect.