Under the guise of helping sick patients find relief, Maryland created the country’s most restrictive medical marijuana program last year that limits distribution to people who sign up for university-run studies licensed through the state. The program is so strict that many medical marijuana advocacy groups don’t consider Maryland to be a true medical marijuana state.
Lawmakers were quick to pat themselves on the back for being so progressive, but nearly a year later the reality is that the program has gone nowhere and sick Marylanders are still without access to legal medical marijuana.

Despite opposition from Attorney General Pam Bondi, the Supreme Court of Florida officially ruled today that a ballot question that could approve use of medical marijuana is perfectly valid. This means that the question will now all but certainly come before voters in November.
Bondi had challenged the proposed amendment on the grounds that it was worded vaguely and pertained to more than one issue. Amendments put before voters can only address a single subject. No word on how big of a brick Bondi has shat, but Miami New Times has the full details.

A full-on medical marijuana bill in Georgia is still years away, but limited access to beneficial parts of the cannabis plant may be relaxed as state Rep. Allen Peake, a Republican from Macon, says he’ll be introducing a medical cannabis bill this week.
According to Peake, the bill would allow for epileptic patients and patients suffering from seizures to apply for a permit from an academic medical center to possesses and use high-CBD oil, which would come from Colorado.

Advocates of medical marijuana met their goal — they collected enough signatures to see that the issue gets posed to voters on this November’s ballot.
Elections officials announced today they they verified 710,508 signatures that were submitted — enough to force a vote on a proposed constitutional amendment. If approved, growing, selling, and using pot for medicinal purposes will be a right enshrined in the state constitution. Broward-Palm Beach New Times has the details.