Medical marijuana patients in Florida will soon be allowed to buy smokeable cannabis products according to recent remarks made by state governor Ron DeSantis.

DeSantis announced last week that if the state legislature does not repeal the smoking ban from Florida’s medical cannabis statute within the first two weeks of March that he will drop an appeal to keep it in the law.

Earlier in 2018, a Florida judge rules that the ban on smoking cannabis violates Amendment 2, the measure passed in 2016 by 71 percent of voters that legalized marijuana in Florida. DeSantis has also said that the ban does not align with the will of the voters.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called on the state legislature Thursday to repeal the ban on smokeable cannabis from the state’s medical marijuana statute. At a press conference in Winter Park, Florida, DeSantis said that the ban is not in line with the will of the voters.

Newly minted Gov. Ron DeSantis has indicated he may drop the state’s appeal of a court decision that said a Florida law banning patients from smoking medical marijuana is unconstitutional.

But on the same day the Republican successor to former Gov. Rick Scott was sworn into office, lawyers for the state tried to persuade a three-judge panel to uphold the smoking prohibition.

Tuesday’s arguments at the 1st District Court of Appeal were the latest twist in a challenge to a 2017 law aimed at implementing a constitutional amendment that broadly legalized medical marijuana. More than 71 percent of voters approved the constitutional amendment in 2016.

The state’s first and largest medical marijuana provider, Trulieve, signed an exclusive deal to bring high-end edible marijuana products to Florida, the company announced Wednesday.

Binske, the Colorado-based company, began operations just two years ago, markets what they call a “commoditized high” through their top-shelf products.

Florida’s 162,000 registered patients will soon be able to buy and medicate with Binske’s wide-ranging collection of cannabis chocolate, granola bars, fruit leather, honey, olive oil and even French-inspired Pâté de Fruit candies.

Binske (with a silent “e,” like “smoke”) touts “farm-to-table products” that are made with premium artisan ingredients harvested from around the world.

Despite a bumpy rollout that has drawn lawsuits and criticism from legislators, a new report shows the number of Floridians using medical marijuana continues to grow.

In the first nine months of 2018, more than 136,000 patients across the state received certifications from 1,070 physicians to receive medical marijuana.

In all, those patients received 174,254 certifications — some could have received multiple certifications — for a host of medical conditions that qualify them to use marijuana. That included 41,143 certifications, or nearly 24 percent of the overall total, for post-traumatic stress disorder.

Medical marijuana has been legal in Florida for nearly two years, but patient access is still limited and smokable marijuana is still banned.

However, that may change when Governor-elect Ron DeSantis takes office.

There are now more than 165,000 active medical marijuana patients in Florida, but industry insiders like Jeff Sharkey with the Medical Marijuana Business Association say access is still an issue.

“I mean the pricing is starting to affect people,” said Sharkey.

The state is appealing a ruling that declared the current medical marijuana law unconstitutional because it limits the number of growers licenses and requires businesses to follow a seed to sale model.

Liberty Health Sciences Inc. (CSE: LHS) (OTCQX: LHSIF) www.libertyhealthsciences.com ("Liberty" or the "Company"), a provider of high quality cannabis, announced today that it plans to open two new dispensaries in Miami and Dania Beach by the end of November and three more in Hollywood, Bonita Springs and Orange Park by the end of this December. Each of the dispensaries will feature free 24-hour delivery service throughout their service area.   

In 2011, I made a relatively meek attempt at pulling together a campaign to place an amendment legalizing medical marijuana before Florida voters. I couldn’t raise enough money for a poll, nor could I find an individual of any stature or credibility who would serve as chairman of a political committee.

Two years later, after Colorado and Washington State became the first states to legalize marijuana for adult use, the environment was much different: a poll showed 71 percent support among Florida voters, and Orlando super-lawyer John Morgan decided to bring the full weight of his voice - and his checkbook - to the effort.

The Florida House is seeking to intervene in a potentially far-reaching legal battle about the constitutionality of a 2017 law that set regulations for the state’s medical marijuana industry.

House lawyers last week requested approval to help defend the law, which was designed to carry out a constitutional amendment that broadly legalized medical marijuana. A Leon County circuit judge this month sided with a Tampa-based firm that contends the 2017 law did not properly follow the constitutional amendment, in part because the law capped the number of medical marijuana licenses that can be issued.

Several Florida cities that temporarily banned pot dispensaries now keep them out permanently.

Nearly two years after Florida voters overwhelmingly approved medical marijuana, some cities' temporary stops to cannabis businesses have turned into outright bans.