“I will do everything that is legal and possible to protect Floridians and Florida businesses involved in medical marijuana from federal prosecution,” Torrens said.

PANAMA CITY — A Democratic candidate for Florida’s top prosecutor position has pledged to take legal action if federal authorities descend upon Florida’s medical marijuana industry.

Democrat Ryan Torrens, of Tampa, sat down recently for a discussion with The News Herald about some of the topics voters will be faced with in the November elections. He is campaigning in a crowded field for the position of Florida’s attorney general, as incumbent Pam Bondi will term out after this year.

With the future of medical and recreational marijuana uncertain across the country under U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Torrens said he would challenge overreach from the federal government into Florida’s medical marijuana industry if elected.

“I will do everything that is legal and possible to protect Floridians and Florida businesses involved in medical marijuana from federal prosecution,” Torrens said. “And if there is any cognizable legal basis to file such action to protect them, I will do that. I think it’s ridiculous the federal government and Jeff Sessions are doing this.”

In the 2016 general election, more than 70 percent of Florida voters approved Amendment 2, the constitutional amendment to allow medical marijuana. Bay County voters approved the measure by about 69 percent. The amendment was limited at that time to only allow prescriptions for patients of certain diseases — such as cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic malignant pain — and was further constricted by lawmakers to allow for consumption only via edibles, vaping, oils, sprays or pills.

After Florida lawmakers also fine-tuned how cultivation licenses would be handled and local governments settled on whether or not dispensaries would be allowed in their respective jurisdictions, the industry received a shock from the U.S. Department of Justice. In January, Sessions rescinded the policy by president Barack Obama’s DOJ that generally has barred federal law enforcement officials from interfering with marijuana sales in states where the drug is legal.

Torrens, a consumer protection attorney based in Tampa, said not only that he would take action in the case of federal intrusion but also, if elected, would reallocate funds for prosecuting minor marijuana offenses. He added that federal authorities should broadly respect states’ decisions, including those involving marijuana.

“The people have spoken, and they voted for it,” he said. “Their wishes should be honored and their votes should count. The federal law should keep up with the state law in this regard. … Floridians should be able to proceed and not worry about being federally prosecuted.”