
Medical marijuana could be coming to Florida, at least for Florida’s terminally ill patients. The Florida House passed a bill to legalize low-THC marijuana Thursday, approving the measure by a 99-16 vote.
The legislation -- HB 307/HB 1313 -- would give patients in the state’s “compassionate use” registry the ability to use low THC medical marijuana.
The legislation would establish a variety of guidelines for regulating medical marijuana in Florida, including determining how physicians qualify to prescribe medical marijuana.
Only physicians can put patients on the compassionate use registry. Physicians would have to participate in a course 8-hour course and an exam offered by the Florida Medical Association or the Florida Osteopathic Medical Association that teaches physicians the clinical indications for the appropriate use of low-THC cannabis and medical cannabis.
Any patient under the age of 18 would need a second opinion from another physician to determine whether medical marijuana was right for them, but all patients, said Gaetz, would need two doctors to verify their ability to be on the compassionate use registry.
The course would also cover “appropriate” cannabis delivery mechanisms as well as the federal laws about medical marijuana. The exam would be administered at least annually, according to the proposal.
The legislation would also provide for five dispensing operations to make medical marijuana accessible to patients. The five dispensaries would be located in Florida’s five different regions: northwest Florida, northeast Florida, central Florida, southeast Florida and southwest Florida.
The bill would also prohibit smoking marijuana, which means patients would have to get the drug via pills, creams, liquids or oral consumables.
The bill now heads to the Senate floor, where that chamber will debate it during the last week of this year’s legislative session.
The Senate companion bill, sponsored by Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, has been the subject of intense debate, with lawmakers presenting a variety of amendments on the bill.
Some of the amendments would have removed the prohibition against smoking marijuana, but those amendments flopped.
If passed, Florida would add its name onto a growing list of states nationwide which have legalized medical marijuana.
On top of this year’s legislation, medical cannabis is also set to come to the Florida ballot later this year as a constitutional amendment. That amendment would legalize marijuana for those with “debilitating” medical conditions.
A recent poll found most Floridians would support the constitutional amendment to legalize medical cannabis in Florida. According to the survey, 65 percent of likely voters are in favor of medical marijuana. The ballot initiative would need to receive 60 percent of the vote in November to be adopted.
Reach reporter Allison Nielsen by email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen.