IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL FIRST DISTRICT, STATE OF ...

[Pages:51]IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL FIRST DISTRICT, STATE OF FLORIDA

RECEIVED, 2/11/2019 2:22 PM, Kristina Samuels, First District Court of Appeal

FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, OFFICE OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA USE, COURTNEY COPPOLA, IN HER OFFICIAL CAPACITY AS DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA USE, ET AL.,

DCA Case No. 1D18-4471 L.T. Case No. 2017-CA-2549

Appellant,

vs.

FLORIGROWN, LLC, A FLORIDA LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY AND VOICE OF FREEDOM, INC., D/B/A FLORIGROWN,

Appellees. /

ANSWER BRIEF OF FLORIGROWN, LLC AND VOICE FREEDOM, INC. Appeal from a Non-Final Order of the Circuit Court

KATHERINE E. GIDDINGS, BCS (949396) katherine.giddings@ elisa.miller@ michele.rowe@ Akerman LLP 106 East College Avenue, Suite 1200 Tallahassee, Florida 32301 Telephone: (850) 224-9634 Telecopier: (850) 222-0103

JONATHAN S. ROBBINS (989428) jonathan.robbins@ nancy.alessi@ Akerman LLP Las Olas Centre II, Suite 1600 350 East Las Olas Boulevard Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301 Telephone: (954) 463-2700 Telecopier: (954) 463-2224

LUKE LIROT (714836) luke2@ jimmy@ justin@ Luke Lirot, P.A. 2240 Belleair Rd., Ste. 190 Clearwater, FL 33764 Telephone: (727) 536-2100 Telecopier: (727) 536-2110

ARI H. GERSTIN (0839671) ari.gerstin@ marylin.herrera@ Akerman LLP Three Brickell City Centre 98 Southeast Seventh St., Ste. 1100 Miami, FL 33131 Telephone: (305) 374-5600 Telecopier: (305) 374-5095

Attorneys for Appellees

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

TABLE OF AUTHORITIES ................................................................................... iii

STATEMENT OF CASE AND FACTS ...................................................................1

SUMMARY OF ARGUMENT ...............................................................................13

STANDARD OF REVIEW .....................................................................................17

ARGUMENT ...........................................................................................................17

I. THE INJUNCTION ORDERS, WHEN CONSIDERED TOGETHER, CLEARLY MAKE THE REQUISITE FACTUAL FINDINGS TO SUPPORT THE INJUNCTION CRITERIA........................................................................................... 17

A. As The Trial Court Recognized, Irreparable Harm Is Established Because Of A Continuing Constitutional Violation And No Additional Finding Of Irreparable Harm Is Necessary Under The Express Terms Of The Constitutional Amendment Itself................................................. 18

B. The Trial Court Made The Requisite Factual Findings Regarding The Lack Of An Adequate Remedy At Law ............. 20

C. A Bond Is Not Warranted Under The Unique Circumstances Here, But Even If It Were, The Proper Remedy Is To Uphold The Injunction With Directions That A Bond Be Set On Remand ........................................................................................ 21

D. The Cases Cited By The Department Are Inapplicable .............. 22

II. FLORIGROWN ESTABLISHED A SUBSTANTIAL LIKELIHOOD OF SUCCESS ON THE MERITS .............................. 23

A. The Statute Violates The Amendment By Materially Altering, Restricting and Contradicting The Definition Of An MMTC In the Amendment And By Restricting MMTCs To Four Enumerated Specific Business Functions...................... 24

B. Nothing In The Record Or The Law Supports The Arbitrary And Artificial Caps Imposed By The Statute .............................. 27

C. The Department Erroneously Claims That Florigrown Demands An Unlimited Number Of MMTCs ............................. 29

D. The Statute Improperly Grants Special Advantages, Benefits And Privileges That Only Apply To Particular Entities.............. 29

III. THE TRIAL COURT CORRECTLY FOUND FLORIGROWN MET THE REMAINING THREE INJUNCTION CRITERIA............33

A. The Trial Court Properly Recognized The Existence of Irreparable Harm As A Matter Of Law ....................................... 33

B. As The Amendment Itself Recognizes, There Is No Adequate Remedy At Law For The Department's Refusal To Comply With Its Constitutional Duties Under A Citizen Initiative ....................................................................................... 34

C. The Trial Court Correctly Found That The Balance Of The Public Interest Factors Support The Injunction ........................... 37

IV. THE INJUNCTION IS CONSISTENT WITH THE PLAIN LANGUAGE OF THE AMENDMENT AND HAS NO BEARING ON THE DEPARTMENT'S REGULATION OF MMTCS .................................................................................................40

CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................42

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE ................................................................................43

CERTIFICATE OF FONT COMPLIANCE .......................................................... 43

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TABLE OF AUTHORITIES

Cases

Page

Aaoep USA, Inc. v. Pex German OE Parts, LLC, 202 So. 3d 470

(Fla. 1st DCA 2016) ..................................................................................... 22

Bush v. Holmes, 919 So. 2d 392 (Fla. 2006) .................................................... 17, 23

City of Jacksonville v. Naegele Outdoor Advertising Co., 634 So. 2d 750

(Fla. 1st DCA 1994) ..................................................................................... 22

Crist v. Fla. Ass'n of Criminal Def. Lawyers, Inc., 978 So. 2d 134 (Fla. 2008) .... 17

Couchman v. Univ. of Central Fla., 84 So. 3d 445 (Fla. 5th DCA 2012).......... 3, 36

Duncan v. Pullum, 198 So. 2d 658 (Fla. 2d DCA 1967) ........................................ 18

Gainesville Woman Care, LLC v. State, 210 So. 3d 1243 (Fla. 2017) ....... 17, 18, 19

Hadi v. Liberty Behavioral Health Corp., 927 So. 2d 34 (Fla. 1st DCA 2006)..... 22

Manatee Cty. v. 1187 Upper James of Florida, LLC, 104 So. 3d 1118

(Fla. 2d DCA 2012) ...................................................................................... 37

Maryland v. King, 567 U.S. 1301 (2012) ............................................................... 37

M & E Distribs., Inc. v. Worley, 840 So. 2d 457 (Fla. 4th DCA 2003) ................. 19

Milin v. Northwest Florida Land, L.C., 870 So. 2d 135 (Fla. 1st 2003) ................ 22

New Motor Vehicle Bd. of California v. Orrin W. Fox Co.,

434 U.S. 1345 (1977) ................................................................................... 37

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Notami Hosp. of Florida, Inc. v. Bowen, 927 So. 2d 139 (Fla. 1st DCA 2006) .............................................................................. passim

Offshore Marine Towing, Inc. v. Sea Tow Svcs. Intern., Inc., 778 So. 2d 510 (Fla. 4th DCA 2001) ..................................................................................... 22

Polk County v. Mitchell, 931 So. 2d 922 (Fla. 2d DCA 2006) ............................... 38 Ralicki v. 998 SW 144 Court Rd, LLC, 254 So. 3 1155 (Fla. 5th DCA 2018) ....... 22 Ruppel v. Gulf Winds Apts, 508 So. 2d 534 (Fla. 2d DCA 1987) .......................... 18 State Agency for Health Care Admin. v. Continental Car Services, Inc.,

650 So. 2d 173 (Fla. 2d DCA 1995)....................................................... 35, 36 Stand Up for Animals, Inc. v. Monroe Cty., 69 So. 3d 1011

(Fla. 3d DCA 2011) ................................................................................ 35, 36 State, Department of Health v. Bayfront HMA Medical Center, LLC,

236 So. 3d 466 (Fla. 1st DCA 2018) ...................................................... 17, 35 Tucker v. Resha, 634 So. 2d 756 (Fla. 1st DCA 1994)........................................... 35 Florida Statutes and Constitutions Chapter 120, Fla. Stat...........................................................................................5, 15 ? 120.52, Fla. Stat. ...................................................................................................36 ? 120.52(1), Fla. Stat..................................................................................................3 ? 381.986(2), Fla. Stat. (2015).................................................................................31 ? 381.986, Fla. Stat. ..........................................................................................passim

iv

? 381.986(8), Fla. Stat. (2017) .........................................................................5, 8, 19 ? 381.986(8)(a)d, Fla. Stat. ......................................................................................41 ? 381.986(8)(a)1., Fla. Stat. .................................................................................9, 19 ? 381.986(8)(a)(2), Fla. Stat. .....................................................................................4 ? 381.986(8)(a)2.a., Fla. Stat. ...........................................................................passim ? 381.986(8)(a)3., Fla. Stat. .................................................................................9, 19 ? 381.986(8)(a)5.d., Fla. Stat. ..................................................................................39 ? 381.986(8)(b)a., Fla. Stat. .....................................................................................39 ? 381.986(8)(e), Fla. Stat. ................................................................................4, 8, 24 ? 381.986(10), Fla. Stat............................................................................................39 ? 381.986(14)(b), Fla. Stat.......................................................................................26 Art. II ? 3, Fla. Const. ..............................................................................................26 Art. III ? 11(a)(12), Fla. Const.......................................................................9, 10, 33 Art. X ? 29, Fla. Const.........................................................................................1, 19 Art. X ? 29(b)(5), Fla. Const............................................................................1, 4, 24 Art. X ? 29(d), Fla. Const ..................................................................................26, 30 Art. X ? 29(d)(1), Fla. Const......................................................................................2 Art. X ? 29(d)(1)(c), Fla. Const .................................................................................2 Art. X ? 29(d)(1)c., Fla. Const.................................................................................30 Art. X ? 29(d)(2), Fla. Const......................................................................................2

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Art. X ? 29(d)(3), Fla. Const.............................................................................passim Art. X ? 29(e), Fla. Const. .................................................................................14, 28 Rules and Regulations Rule 9.130, Fla. R. App. P .......................................................................................18 Rule 9.210(a)(2), Fla. R. App. P ..............................................................................43 Rule 9.310(b)(2), Fla. R. App. P..............................................................................11 Rule 1.110(g), Fla. R. Civ. P....................................................................................34 Rule 1.610, Fla. R. Civ. P. .......................................................................................21 Other Art. X, ? 29, Constitutional Regulation 1-1.01(5),

.................5 Art. X, ? 29, Constitutional Regulation 1-1.02(2), (6), (9), (17),

...............39 Florida Health, Office of Compassionate Use, Article X, Section 29,

of the Florida Constitution Regulation Development Procedure (published May 25, 2017; effective June 14, 2017), .................5 Florida Health, Office of Medical Marijuana Use Weekly Update (January 4, 2019), programs-and-services/office-of-medical-marijuana-use/ommuupdates/_documents/190104-bi-weekly-update.pdf ...................................... 32

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