Florida medical marijuana patients get an unexpected email praising DeSantis

By BRENDAN FARRINGTON
Associated Press

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Medical marijuana patients and advocates are upset that the Florida Department of Health emailed its patient registry to praise Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis for signing the state budget. The email went out last week to the state’s more than 700,000 medical marijuana patients, as well as doctors, health care providers and the media. Nothing in the email mentions medical marijuana, and patients say that the DeSantis administration violated their privacy. Democratic Rep. Kelly Skidmore said using the patient list to promote policy is a revolting misuse of power. The Department of Health said the focus of its message should be on the good in the budget, not the “inconvenience” of an email.