(TALLAHASSEE, FL.) -- Tallahassee has had several interesting headlines recently, ranging from local fires to a record-breaking drug bust.
State legislatures will begin a special session starting Apr. 27.
But even more obscure than the continuous burn ban is Trulieve, which made headlines for dumping contaminated water.
Trulieve is a legal cannabis distributor with headquarters in Tallahassee. It was one of the first corporations to obtain a medical cannabis license in Florida. Today, Trulieve has almost 200 dispensaries in Florida, and even more in select states across America.
Trulieve spent $140 million in 2024 on the ‘Smart and Safe Florida’ campaign, which sought to legalize recreational marijuana.
The vote concluded with 55% of civic voters in support of legalizing marijuana, falling short of the 60% Florida requires for an amendment to pass.
The Smart and Safe Florida campaign resurfaced earlier in 2026 but failed to get the issue on the November ballots. Despite obtaining well over a million votes, the Department of State was only able to verify half of them. The disparaging numbers led to the campaign narrowly missing the required 880,000 signatures needed to put an amendment on the November ballot.
Trulieve attempted to petition the Florida Supreme Court, which declined to review the case.
Although Trulieve has fallen short of legalizing marijuana, the company has successfully lobbied for marijuana to become a Schedule 3 substance. Marijuana used to be a Schedule 1 substance; Trulieve was unable to use standard tax exemptions and reductions for businesses. Estimates claim Trulieve may have lost more than 70% of its revenue to taxes.
With Marijuana as a Schedule 1 substance in 2025, the company will now be eligible for more exemptions next voting season.
Right now, Trulieve is facing daily fines from the city of Tallahassee for dumping contaminated water in Monticello, Florida.
Both the Suwannee River Water Management District and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection(DEP) have sent warnings to Trulieve. During an Apr. 15 visit, the DEP observed Trulieve discharging water without a permit.
Trulieve has until May 5 to comply, or convince the Florida department they are complying, before receiving $15,000 daily fines.
Essentially, Trulieve needs to obtain wastewater permits or change how they discard water.
Photo Credit: Trulieve / Code of Ethics and Business Conduct
The company may attempt to negotiate with the DEP and get a Consent Order. The goal of a consent order is to move forward while minimizing guaranteed fines. Trulieve could look to ‘settle’ and prevent punitive fines while agreeing to fix environmental damages.
The ability to settle may depend on the severity of the damage caused by Trulieve.
Photo Credit: Austin Hosford, jeffersoncountyfl.gov
"Trulieve, in my opinion, has wreaked havoc on Jefferson County as far as the smells and noise, and now this water," says District 4 County Commissioner Austin Hosford.
For the past month, residents have complained about standing water and foul odors, which were confirmed by the DEP visit. Some reports are expressing concern about the contaminated water mixing with the drinking water in Jefferson County. Nearby retention ponds tested positive for high levels of nitrates, which could complicate the proceedings.
If you have any questions or concerns, please comment and email me at jason.f@lead4earth.org
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