George Scorsis,
Florida Rules and Regulations

For those who understand the state’s complex environment for new businesses, Florida remains a lucrative place to start or expand your company. 

 

While highly regulated businesses in Florida have a bright future, including the state’s burgeoning marijuana industry, managers must still learn and contend with an abundance of contrary laws between the state and local governments, as well as risks for those who aren’t able to follow these sometimes confusing laws and regulations. 

 

But for George Scorsis, Florida offers not only perfect weather, endless beaches and a business-first market philosophy. It’s also a rare opportunity to expand in a new market — at least for entrepreneurs who can handle a complex regulatory framework. 

 

“Regardless of what many naysayers will tell you, there’s no reason to doubt the enduring strength of Florida’s economy,” Scorsis said, who lives and works in Canada. “However, the relationship between politics and business is very specific to this state, so outsiders will have some extra work to do to catch up with the locals. But if you can handle that, there’s big rewards to be found here.” 

 

That’s reflected in the state’s attitude toward the medical marijuana industry, which is flourishing even as many state leaders have somewhat mixed feelings about it. Despite a lack of complete top-down support, The Sunshine State has actually become the biggest medical marijuana market in the United States. 

 

It brought in over $1 billion in sales in 2022, and continues to grow quickly, necessitating agile business models to keep up. In general, the marijuana industry boomed during the pandemic, partly thanks to government rules that allowed deliveries to continue the delivery of a once-illegal plant now used as medicine by millions of Americans. 

 

“While the pandemic might be mostly behind us, it still showed that the cannabis industry, while an uncomfortable subject for many politicians, will continue to receive at least a basic level of political support,” George Scorsis said. “That’s significant to those of us with experience in highly regulated industries. We know that just because something is legal doesn’t mean it will receive enough support to become a viable business. To really be lucrative, businesses need room to expand. We can now say with a high degree of certainty that this will be the case for the Florida cannabis industry.”

 

Even with all those positives, said George Scorsis, Florida laws still don’t make it easy for many managers in highly regulated industries to fulfill the state’s regulatory requirements.

 

One example would be the packaging rules for Florida, which are different from many other state rules. Financial requirements can also be confusing, especially for those in the marijuana industry. And there’s often little leeway when a business makes a mistake, even an accidental one. Such mistakes can still have big consequences from regulators that have no interest in allowing distributors and dispensaries to play fast and loose with the rules. 

 

“Not too many companies have received commercial licenses to operate as medical marijuana businesses in Florida,” George Scorsis said. “As Florida leaders make it easier for businesses to enter the market, we can likely anticipate further expansion of this industry in the near future — and beyond.