State defends higher pot license fee

Dara Kem, News Service Florida  Contributor A formula used to set a $1.33 million price-tag for medical-marijuana license renewals properly carries out state lawmakers’ policy choices, Florida health officials argued as they tried to swat down a challenge to the fee. The Florida Department of Health, in December of 2022, adopted a rule creating a formula for establishing the fee. In doing so, they made license-renewal costs for the state’s medical-marijuana operators more than 22 t