Rick Scott signs "Charlotte's Web" medical mj bill

[djean111]

5. Well, turns out that Rick Scott signing the bill is just more cronyism......

http://guardianlv.com/2014/05/florida-medical-cannabis-charlottes-web-curious-amendment/

An amended version of the Charlotte’s Web medical cannabis bill passed both branches of the Florida Legislature as of Friday, the last day of the legislative session, without any lawmaker debate regarding a curious requirement grafted onto the bill. The growers producing the low THC version of the marijuana are not required to have experience with herbs or medicinal plants of any nature, but the amendment slotted in the bill by Representative Matt Caldwell (R-Lehigh Acres) requires at least 30 years of uninterrupted operational nursery experience in Florida. The amendment also limits production to larger nurseries growing over 400,000 plants. Long quiet about whether or not he would veto the Charlotte’s Web legislation, Governor Scott announced he will sign the bill when it hits his desk.

Not too many nurseries will qualify, because many were shut down for a while by hurricanes.

The list of donors to either Caldwell or political action committees tied to Caldwell includes large agricultural interests, including a tobacco company and US Sugar. Inserting a provision in legislation encouraging medical cannabis production by a specific nursery or by tobacco or sugar interests would be politically unpopular, but doing the same thing through something such as an extraordinarily long experience requirement could do the same thing on a more secretive basis.