Florida

This State’s Medical Marijuana Patient Count Increased 71% In Two Years

Published

2 years ago

February 21, 2023

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The Sunshine State is full of cannabis fans, apparently. According to state data, the number of registered medical marijuana patients in Florida increased by 71% in just the last two years, skyrocketing to 779,465 at the end of 2022.

That’s up from 455,425 registered MMJ patients in 2020, The Center Square reported.

The figures came up during a presentation by Christopher Kimball, the director of the Florida Office of Medical Marijuana Use (OMMU), to a state legislature subcommittee, according to The Center Square. Kimball said that not only did patient participation shoot up, but so did the number of physicians registered to issue MMJ certifications, from 107 in 2020 to 1,725 in 2022.

Patient numbers increased even further in the past month and a half to 788,633 as of February 10, and the number of registered physicians shot up to 2,601, according to the latest OMMU report.

The numbers are one of the major reasons the state will award new MMJ business licenses starting in April to ensure that the entire patient population is adequately served. State law triggers more permitting with patient count growth.

The next round will be for 22 new business permits, doubling the existing number of companies in the state (though only 19 yet have operational dispensaries, according to the OMMU).

Kimball said one of the major changes instituted by the OMMU that may have contributed to the increased numbers is same-day approval for patient certifications.

The state also repealed a ban in 2019 that it originally had in place for medical cannabis flower. The early days of the MMJ program only allowed for products such as tinctures and pills to be sold by licensed cannabis companies. That has also likely been a major contributor to the increased popularity of the program, given that smokeable flower has long been the most popular form of medical cannabis among patients.

In March 2019, when the flower ban was repealed, the state had just under 200,000 registered MMJ patients.

The surge in patients could also be a political boost to Trulieve’s ballot measure campaign, which is attempting to get a recreational legalization measure onto the 2024 ballot in Florida and has invested over $25 million so far in the effort.

This article originally appeared on Green Market Report and has been reposted with permission.

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alcohol

The Best Florida Cocktail Recipes

Published

1 week ago

September 27, 2024

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Florida has been in the news lately, so why not lean into the sunshine state with some of their signature cocktails

From the Flora-bama to Key West, Florida has a history of snuggling up to the cocktail. The spring break capital, home of Miami and its famous nightclubs, the sunshine state knows how to mix up a good time. From end to end of the state is 838 miles – which gives plenty of room to have a signature bar or 30. And with that comes signature drinks…and here are the best Florida cocktail recipes so you can bask in your own sunshine.

RELATED: Beer Sales Flatten Thanks To Marijuana

The Rum Runner

In the great tradition of strong drinks, this one can pack a punch. The drink was created in the 1950s at the Holiday Isle Tiki Bar in Islamorada. The bartenders wanted to get rid of the last few sips of several liqueurs, and this legendary cocktail was developed.

Ingredients

2 cups ice
1 ounce pineapple juice
1 ounce orange juice
1 ounce blackberry liqueur
1 ounce banana liqueur
1 ounce light rum
1 ounce dark rum or aged rum

Create

Fill glass with ice
Add the liquid contents and stir
Pour the 151 in the straw or on the top
Serve and sip

The Hurricane

While the drink is supposed to have been developed at Pat O’Brians in New Orleans, the state has had its share of hurricanes. Another powerful drink – this one attracts spring breakers, snowbirds and just people out for a fun Thursday night. The mixture of liquors can be lethal, so be careful on the amount consumed!

Ingredients

1 oz rum
1 oz light rum
1 oz pineapple
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 cup ice

Create

Fill hurricane glass half full with crushed ice
Combine dark rum, light rum, lime juice, and pineapple in a cocktail shaker
Add ice; cover and shake until the outside of the shaker has frosted
Strain into glass

Margarita

Jimmy Buffet made this drink insanely popular. From beach bars to Mexican restaurants, this is a staple in the state with lime grove of variations. Here is an easy version for you to toast to good times and start your mini staycation ASAP.

Crushed ice
3 lime wedges
2 ounces gold tequila
½ ounce silver tequila
1 ¼ ounces Rose’s lime juice
½ ounce Triple Sec
Salt

Create

Combine all ingredients except for the lime into a shaker
Squeeze 2 of the lime wedges into the shaker and then shake well
Serve over salt rimmed glass

RELATED: Rainy Weather Cocktails

Bushwacker

The Bushwacker is in the vein of the mudslide but with a twist. You can slide up to the Sandshaker bar in Pensacola Beach and enjoy this creamy delight. You will see music lovers (live bands), college kids, locals, tourists and more at this staple stop.

Ingredients

2 ounces dark rum
1 ounce coffee liqueur (such as Kahlúa)
1 ounce dark creme de cacao
2 ounces whole milk
1 ounce cream of coconut (such as Coco Lopez)
Garnish: nutmeg, freshly grated

Create

Add the dark rum, coffee liqueur, dark creme de cacao, whole milk, cream of coconut and a cup of ice into a blender
Blend until combined and frothy
Pour into a Hurricane glass
Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg

The Fuzzy Navel

The sunshine state is the land of oranges, so why not a delicious fruit drink that isn’t a mimosa or a screwdriver – welcome to the Fuzzy Navel.

Ingredients

2 ops peach schnapps
6 ounces freshly squeezed orange juice
Orange slice

Create

Add a handful of ice to a highball glass
Pour in the peach schnapps, followed by the orange juice
Stir, and garnish with the orange slice.

Hairy Navel

Add an oz of vodka to the above recipes and you transform the drinks to a Hairy Navel.

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Ballot initiative

Florida Governor’s Fight Against Cannabis Could Put Him In Hot Water

Published

1 week ago

September 25, 2024

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DeSantis is continuing to go full steam against recreational marijuana and other ballot initiatives, and it is not going well for him.

The big news this week has been new tapes revealing Nixon stated marijuana was “not addictive and dangerous.” Nixon, who had a penchant for tapes which got him in trouble, was the founder of the War on Drugs, which plagues the country to this day. But some leaders haven’t listened to reason and science. In fact the Florida’s governor’s fight against cannabis could put in hot water.

It is public opinion and the medical community see value in legal cannabis by the positions of the American Medical Association and the American College of Physicians. But the message has reached Florida. Governor DeSantis has lead the fight against marijuana, despite the a significant majority of his voters opposing his position. He has used a variety of tactics to get his way, often with poor results. He fought medical marijuana, lost and his popular, he has fought the insurance industry and now the sunshine state has sky high premiums, he appointed a president of one the states premier university only for him to leave after extravagant spending.

DeSantis opposes citizen-led amendments on the ballot this November and has tried to rise money to combat the swell of voters who support them. Reflecting the will of the public, the pro marijuana group has raised 5 times the amount as the governor’s team. But it seems the governor may have dipped into state funds to help. In a two-front battle, DeSantis is also at odds with the GOP Presidential nominee who. stated he plans to vote yes for the initiative. A direct opposition to DeSantis stance.

A Florida public service announcement, funded by the state and promoted on social media last week, warns viewers not to drive high. In the middle of the 30-second video, the narrator says, “DUI crashes increase in states with legalized marijuana, putting everyone at risk.” The claim legalization leads to increased instances of impaired driving is misleading. Research on the topic has been mixed, and even federal reports have said the effects of cannabis use needs more research.

Smart & Safe Florida, the campaign that put Amendment 3 on the November ballot, sent cease and desist letters to about 50 news stations across the state. It seems legal and ethic issues are right around the corner.

One irony is the state is PSA talks about it causing higher insurance rates. Florida is among the most expensive states for auto insurance. According to estimates from Quadrant Information Services, Florida drivers pay $134 per month or $1,605 per year on average for minimum-coverage auto insurance. Property owners already pay more than four times the national average for home insurance, up from triple the national average just last year. The cost of homeowners insurance on average increased more than 40% in the last year.

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Boulder

Deion Sanders says CU Buffs safety Shilo Sanders “not counted out” for UCF, expects RB Dallan Hayden, DT Chidozie Nwankwo to play vs. Knights

Published

1 week ago

September 25, 2024

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BOULDER — The Buffs’ revived run game could be adding another option back into the fold.

CU football coach Deion Sanders said Tuesday that tailback and Ohio State transfer Dallan Hayden “looked good” during practice earlier in the day and is expected to play on Saturday against UCF.

The sophomore from Memphis, Tenn., hadn’t played since CU’s loss at Nebraska with what ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported was a high ankle sprain. Meanwhile, the Buffs’ run game has picked up considerably with the 1-2 punch of freshman Micah Welch and sophomore Isaiah Augustave. CU rushed for 109 yards on 19 carries in a win at CSU and ran it 42 times for 91 yards and three scores vs. Baylor this past weekend.

Read the rest of this story on TheKnow.DenverPost.com.

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