Black farmers will soon be able to vie for a highly sought-after medical marijuana license in Florida.
According to the News Service of Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration on Thursday rolled out a process for Black farmers with ties to Florida to compete for a designated license to grow, process and dispense medical marijuana.
Part of the 2017 law required health officials to grant a license to “one applicant that is a recognized class member” in decades-old litigation, known as the “Pigford” cases, which addressed racial discrimination against Black farmers by federal officials.
The law also requires the Black farmer applicants to have conducted business in the state for at least five years and have valid certificates of registration as nurseries from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Applicants for the Black farmer license will have to pay a $146,000 non-refundable application fee, which is more than double what prospective operators paid when competing for licenses in 2015, the last time the application process was open.
Applications will be accepted at a Department of Health office in Tallahassee during a five-day window that has yet to be announced.