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Oooh, That Smell:  

Failure to do their job aside, what is even more stunning and reckless of the Republicans in the legislature is what they have already done to set up this disastrous implementation of medical marijuana. First, they set up a system to reward their Cronies – they all but spelled out ‘family member of a legislator’ – when they created one of the standards required to grow the product. It may seem like a high regulatory burden, but high regulatory burdens that their friends and family can meet do not equal meaningful regulations, they simply equate to contempt for the people and fraud. Given how pot has been cultivated in Central America, and all over the United State in covert shelters, open forests, hidden green housese, backyards, etc. by modern day “bootleggers,” - many of whom are teenagers - makes the initial requirement to have owned a nursery for 20 years outright laughable. Experience in growing plants isn’t the challenge, controlling the output should be the focus instead. The obvious attempt to help one House member with this regulation stinks to high heaven. While we’re sure Rep. Halsey Beshears never participated in the discussion of this standard, as that would be wrong, it sure smells bad.

Hypocrisy for $100 Alex.

The disgust for marijuana is so complete with many in the legislative majority, they fail to see their own hypocrisy in their pathetic lawmaking efforts. After listening to the debate and the sincerity of grown men pretending to want to obey the constitutional law, while they do all they can to defy it through statute, we are left with a system that has only a few thousand patients eligible to use medical Soviet style control of the growth and distribution licenses granted to 6 (eight now due to litigation) well-heeled, well-connected and well-represented (lawyers and lobbyists) who represent a Cartel to control the market in Florida.  Crony captialism is alive and well in Florida’s Republican controlled government.

This debate continues while House Speaker Richard Corcoran travels the state preaching how he won’t “pick winners and losers” in Florida. Well, Mr Speaker – you just did! The blatant stupidity of this debate is not lost on anyone with common sense and armed with a freshman college level class in economics. You see, those in an industry often try to create artificial barriers to entry to keep competition out. Oligopolies are extremely efficient organizations that do a great job of price fixing in legal ways. And with the help of government regulation, the eight-member oligopoly in medical marijuana can set prices as it sees fit.