Lawmakers sign off on expanding medical marijuana licenses for Black farmers [Video]

TALLAHASSEE — Florida lawmakers for the second year in a row have signed off on expanding the number of medical marijuana licenses earmarked for Black farmers, opening the door for three applicants who lost out earlier.

Expansion of medical marijuana licenses for Black farmers was included in a wide-ranging Department of Health bill (SB 1582) that also addresses such issues as septic-tank inspections and screening for newborns and pregnant women.

A provision added to the bill in the last week of this year’s legislative session would help at least three Black farmers who had sought medical marijuana licenses but were deemed ineligible to apply by state officials.

Passage of the bill is the latest twist in a drawn-out effort to allow Black farmers to join the state’s cannabis program, which has exploded in size since voters approved a constitutional amendment broadly authorizing medical marijuana in 2016.

If signed into law by Gov. Ron …