The parents of RayAnn Moseley helped push for the passage of SB 1030, the Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act of 2014. RayAnn suffers from epilepsy, and her parents and doctors believe a high CBD strain like Charlotte’s Web could offer her relief. The Moseley’s have now formed a new company in hopes of bringing the Charlotte’s Web strain to Florida.

Moseley’s Form LLC To Bring Charlotte’s Web to Florida

RayAnn Mosely

RayAnn Mosely

RayAnn’s parents, Peyton and Holley, aren’t willing to try just any cannabis strain that is high in CBD and low in THC, they want to treat her with the Charlotte’s Web strain that was developed in Colorado. The strain has been hailed as a miracle by some parents and patients. Holley Moseley, the mother of RayAnn, told the Miami Herald that, “I’m only ready to try something that’s working and is safe.” “This has never been about money. All along, our goal has been to get Charlotte’s Web for RayAnn, whether that was moving to Colorado or fighting to make it legal here.” The strain was developed by the Stanley Brothers. Both the developer’s and their strain rose to fame after oil derived from their plants was used to treat a young child in Colorado, with intractable epileptic seizures, named Charlotte Figi, and was reported on by CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta in a special about cannabis.

The Stanley Brothers own a trademark on Charlotte’s Web. RayAnn’s parents started a non-profit modeled after the Stanley Brothers’ non-profit group called the Realm of Caring. Realm of Caring operates in California and Colorado and is looking to expand to other states. After receiving advice from their lawyer, the Moseley’s started a Limited Liability Corporation (LLC) named Ray of Hope. The LLC had to be formed because under Florida’s SB 1030, non-profit groups are not allowed to be selected to cultivate, process, and distribute low-THC cannabis.

Ray of Hope Seeking Nursery to Partner With

State Rep. Matt Caldwell (R)The Moseley’s new corporation is partnering with Stanley Brothers, but under SB 1030 and the Florida Department of Health’s proposed rules, they will have to find a Florida nursery that has been in continuous operation for at least 30 years, and has a valid certificate of registration issued by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to grow over 400,000 plants. These requirements, which also limit the number of dispensaries, were added in a last minute amendment to SB 1030 by state Rep. Matt Caldwell(R-North Fort Myers) who added the provision at the last minute. The amendment was added to the bill after the Florida Nursery, Growers, and Landscape Association lobbied for it. Kerry Herndon, a nursery owner in Apopka, told the Miami Herald, “Everybody’s got an agenda, and it’s all financial, and it’s stomach-turning.” “They now have to make a deal with the evil growers who manipulated the politics.”

In January, at a legislative workshop for SB 1030, state Rep. Matt Gaetz asked Peyton Moseley, “Why don’t you just find a way to get the stuff into Florida illegally?” Peyton responded to the question by telling Rep. Gaetz, “First of all, Florida is our home, but we’re not willing to break the law even to help our daughter,” Peyton answered. “And there are so many parents who are in the same situation. If we leave, that’s one less voice for everybody else who’s suffering.” Rep. Gaetz was later reported in the Miami Herald as saying, “I don’t know many people on the planet Earth who spend three years to adopt a severely ill child and then have such respect for our laws that they are unwilling to break them.”

Executive Director of Realm of Caring, Heather Jackson, says that under the agreement Florida nurseries would only be able to obtain Charlotte’s Web through the Stanley’s and the Moseley’s. Jackson told the Miami Herald, “We generally like to partner with other families because they are so dedicated to it. They are going to make the right moral decisions, and they’re always focused on the best interests of the patient. Who else is going to take a call at 8:30 at night to help a patient?” The Brothers have been going to other potentials growers about licensing or creating a joint venture. “Which one and how many we’re going to propose to pass this torch in Florida, or whether we’ll try to develop a relationship with all five, will be more clear once the regulations come out,” said Joel Stanley. Josh, the Stanley Brothers’ oldest brother, has started his own company, FloriCan, and hopes to develop another high-CBD/low-THC strain. The Moseley’s remain interested only in the Charlotte’s Web strain. “If Charlotte’s Web didn’t make it to Florida, Peyton and I would be moving to Colorado.”