An administrative law judge is poised to decide whether a $1.33 million license renewal fee is too pricey for medical cannabis operators doing business in Florida.
Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration in December hiked the fee, which had been $60,000 since the inception of the state’s medical cannabis program six years ago. The increase came after the governor complained that cannabis companies — whose licenses have sold for upwards of $50 million until recently — weren’t paying enough.
Sanctuary Cannabis, one of 24 medical cannabis operators in the state, in September filed an administrative challenge in arguing that the $1.33 million biennial fee is “wholly without logic or reason” because it does not take into account tens of millions of dollars from patients who pay $75 a year for identification cards to participate in the program.
Lawyers for the Department of Health, however, maintain that the formula reflects decisions by state lawmakers.
Read more at wftv.com