On Tuesday the Orange County Commission voted unanimously to give the “green light” for marijuana dispensaries. The question is whether this will encourage other nearby counties and cities to follow the same path?

In November 2016 Floridians voted overwhelmingly to allow for medical marijuana dispensaries in the state, but many local governments, like Orange County, Osceola County, Kissimmee and St. Cloud have been blocking efforts to establish these dispensaries.

During the summer, Florida set forth a number of rules for dispensaries that allowed local governments to either allow dispensaries to open anywhere pharmacies are permitted to do business, or to fully ban them.

Osceola County approved a moratorium for 90 days; St. Cloud did so for 6 months; and Kissimmee voted 4-1 for a ban, with Vice Mayor Wanda Rentas voting against the banning of medical marijuana dispensaries.

In Orange County advocates for marijuana dispensaries said they were optimistic that dispensaries being allowed in Orange County would make it easier for this to take place in other counties and cities throughout Florida. Only time will tell whether that will be the case in Osceola County, Kissimmee and St. Cloud.