Muck’s Minute #15

Cannabis and the politicization of same.  

The crony Politics of “medical” Marijuana growing in Florida.

 

Florida is a great place to grow the brand of hemp called marijuana.  Mild climate, lots of rain (by the season), great for greenhouses to force higher rates of growth and control insects (can’t have insects on a buzz, now can we!), plenty of cows to furnish composted poop and besides hemp itself is a hardy, ratty weed in some parts of the world that an also be made into rope and other useful products.

But since the buds of the marijuana plant (also called cannabis) contain a chemical called”THC” and can used for recreational use ( see Wikipedia for a run down on all its’ properties) and some religious rites and more recently it has been determined to also have medical uses for relief of chronic pain, nausea from chemotherapy and improving appetite in those undergoing chemotherapy and HIV/AIDS.

It has not – repeat not – been established that cannabis is a “gateway drug” leading to addiction or a force to push any particular person to heavier brands of really nasty stuff like heroin, cocaine  or crack or whatever.  Yes – of course – there will be a some that use it, like it and wonder that if MaryJane is fun, how much more fun would be in a line of coke or some ground up oxycodone.

In other word, it’s a pretty useful plant, rated dead last in a large study of potential hazardous drugs (alcohol is #1) and most states are s-l-o-w-l-y giving way to pressure to legalize the growing and distribution of cannabis – several states for recreational use and others (and more of them) for medical use.  Pretty soon, it will morph into a backyard plant everywhere (except where right wing bigots dwell) and all we must remember is that it indeed psychoactive and physiologically active  in nature when used and should be respected in the way of alcohol (a much more dangerous drug – #1 in fact in the study of hazardous drugs) and narcotics (also much more dangerous in nature).

But we drift away from the subject.

Florida is in the process of legalizing medical cannabis and, of course, has immediately politicized the process to the maximum so crony friends of the pols can skim off the cream from the top of the market, thereby driving up the price to make maximum profits at the expense of those needing it for medical use (not even counting the recreational part).

The state of Florida’s Dept. of Health established an “Office of Compassionate Care” (known as political “word worming”) to pick nurseries to be allowed to grow cannabis in the State of Florida.  There were 28 nurseries that made application to the “Office of Compassionate Care”.

This ever-so-compassionate crony’s association then named five nurseries (out of 28 applicants) who were deemed “proper enough” to grow medical cannabis.  All five were near major population/political centers and all had lobbyists working like mad to get approved.  Several nurseries went farther yet in the influence game.

Of these five nurseries that were approved, four out of the five were actual members of the “Office of Ever So Greedy Compassionate Care” which gave these four favored nurseries a majority in any vote (if there was one) for any nursery that had applied.

They made absolutely sure that all four nurseries that had seats on the “Office of Political Care” got approval – almost by default since they were the ones making the decisions.

So far there have been 13 administrative challenges across all five regions of the state by nurseries that were “somehow” overlooked and weren’t selected. The number of nurseries selected were, no doubt, picked to spread the wealth to the crony group and maximize the profits to be made.  After all, too many growers might drive down the price a bit much and the crony nurseries would have to accept lower profits and consumers just might be able to afford the medical cannabis.

I suspect that when the “administrative challenges” are ignored, were I involved, there would be a class action law suit by the 21 nurseries left out and the suit should, one would think, be able to prove without a doubt that collusion and normal Florida crony operations and under the table politics lead the charge in selecting those who would then be able to profit greatly from the arrangement.

I’d be surprised in any judge worth his seat wouldn’t see that a majority of nurseries that granted themselves permits to grow just might be a bit prejudicial in their “honest” evaluation and choices.

But this sort of chicanery is what I’ve come to expect living in Florida.

I’d be very surprised if other States don’t work the same way..  But I’d love to be educated otherwise.  As far as I’m concerned anyone who wishes to grow cannabis should be able to do so, meeting the necessary (and honest) requirements while growing to insure a quality product reaches patients and consumers who need it.

Same old, same old.

End

Author: MuckAbout

Retired Engineer and Scientist (electronic, optics, mechanical) lives in a pleasant retirement community in Central Florida. He is interested in almost everything and comments on most of it. A pragmatic libertarian at heart he welcomes comments on all that he writes.

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robert h siddell jr
robert h siddell jr

It is called Dope for a very good reason: it clogs peoples brains. But I agree that America Inc should not be a Fascist Communist monopoly. Let freedom reign and the market set the price. Presently, I can produce all the peanuts I want but cannot sell any without a government quota. I can produce eggs but only sell them to a government approved whole seller. I can produce milk, beef, vegetables but the same kind of restrictive rules apply.

suzanna

“skim the cream” = key phrase

Westcoaster
Westcoaster

If the state feels it must regulated it at all, then why not give farmers an allotment or “base” as the states do (or did) with tobacco. You have 60 acres? Then 10% or 6 acres can be used to raise Cannabis. I see no reason to limit the activity to a handful of cronies, er ah, nurseries.

starfcker
starfcker

Muck, I know most of the players in this. It’s worse than you think. Remember, we just voted this down in a referendum a year ago. This is wall street money vs the rest of us. The wall street money player in this has been consolidating the the chain store foliage business for quite some time. Look at the requirements. Have to have been in business 30 years, and produce 400,000 units annually. His lobbying bill on this was around 2 million. Next step is a 5 million dollar

starfcker
starfcker

5 million dollar bond. And all the weed has to be grown indoors. How mom and pop. It’s crooked beyond your wildest dreams.

yahsure
yahsure

It is a freedom issue. People should be free to grow their own.

bb

For you freedom loving slaves …… have ever stop to think about how this will effect your grandchildren ?.Have you thought about the unintended consequences?Drugs are similar sex in this way .First sex outside of marriage , then adultery was glorified , now homosexuality , next sex with multiple wives like our Mormon friends and finally sex with children will be legalized.

Still in favor of legalizing marijuana ?Meatheads of the BP think about the BLOWBACK for future generations.

bb

Yobo Yahoo yahsure ,this was directed to you.Freedom ?.are you on drugs ?

Weedhopper
Weedhopper

This is the most uneducated article I’ve ever read on this site. The author is a brain-fried loon.

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