Two Black farmers in Florida have been awarded medical marijuana business licenses under a bill that Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed into law last month.
The state’s legalization law that was implemented in 2017 stipulated that one medical cannabis business license needed to go to a Black farmer who is covered by the historic “Pigford” class action litigation against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) alleging discriminatory lending practices.
But it was only last year that the Florida Department of Health opened applications for the special license. And while regulators announced their intent to issue one to farmer Terry Donnell Gwinn, the action was held up after other applicants made a legal and administrative challenge. That inspired lawmakers to pass HB 387, mandating that the department approve licenses for all qualified applicants.
DeSantis signed the bill last month, and the department has since approved licenses for two of the 12 people who submitted applications last year. Gwinn and Shedrick McGriff received the licenses and thanked the governor for approving the law that made it possible.
“Mr. Gwinn is grateful that the long awaited Pigford MMTC (medical marijuana treatment center) license has been awarded, and he and his team look forward
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