Florida: Pot strain likely available later this year

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – Florida officials are predicting that a strain of low-potency marijuana should finally be available for medical purposes later this year.

Legislators in 2014 voted to legalize a strain of marijuana known as Charlotte’s Web to treat epilepsy and cancer patients.

But there have been disputes over rules drawn up by the Department of Health to implement the law.

An administrative law judge on Wednesday threw out the latest challenge to those rules.

The department put out a statement that the ruling should clear the way to put in place regulations to govern the distribution of the marijuana strain. The department said it is “moving swiftly to facilitate access to the product before the end of the year.”

A constitutional amendment authorizing medical marijuana was narrowly defeated last fall.