One of the most contentious elements in Florida’s medical cannabis industry is who gets to grow and sell the drug. Lawmakers approved a limited number of companies to ensure security, but now some see the state’s seven growers as a cartel.
In Florida, dispensing organizations are vertically integrated—meaning they’re responsible for growing, processing and selling their treatments. Former Colorado Marijuana Czar Andrew Freedman explains his state moved away from that system.
“I would say that if you did have very few licensees, and you did only allow for vertical integration, that there would be a concern that there would become a few actors that were very powerful in the space," said Freedman.
"So there is some thought that I would have towards how big and how powerful you want actors vs. how big and how powerful you want the industry to be.”
But changes could be in the works. A proposal in the Senate would allow Florida’s growers to buy and sell raw products among themselves.
