What Floridians Need to Know About the State’s Medical Marijuana Laws

Florida’s state laws, pertaining to medical marijuana, have changed in 2019. The Sunshine State voted yes to a constitutional amendment in 2016 that would make medical marijuana legal. With a more than 70% vote for the legalization of medical marijuana, Governor Rick Scott signed the law into effect in 2017, but he used his power to make smokable pot illegal in the state. He limited medical marijuana to topicals, vapes, tinctures and concentrates.

Florida’s current Governor, Ron DeSantis, overturned the former governor’s ban, legalizing the smoking of medical marijuana in the state.

For more information, read this article: Recommending Marijuana in New YorkWhat Should Doctors Know?

Who is Allowed to Have Medical Marijuana?

Bi-partisan support, sponsored by Democrat Linda Stewart and Republican State Senator Jeff Brandes, allows for patients over and under the age of 18 to have marijuana. Patients under the age of 18 can only have smokable medical marijuana under the following circumstances:

•         The patient has been diagnosed with a terminal illness
•         The patient has sought a second opinion from a doctor

All patients will also need to sign a consent form that acknowledges the potential risks that they face when smoking marijuana. There are providers that can offer same-day patient approval prescriptions for patients who want to use medical marijuana.

Concentrates, which can provide similar benefits to smoking marijuana, don’t work for everyone. Advocacy groups, between 2017 and 2019, urged Florida’s lawmakers to make changes to allow physicians to prescribe smokable marijuana for patients that cannot find relief with concentrates.

Patients over the age of 18 are allowed, under the law, to have 2.5 ounces of marijuana every 35 days.

DeSantis and his administration worked hard to ensure that the 2016 vote in support of medical marijuana be upheld. He claims that he is committed to the cause and that the prior law was unconstitutional.

“Over 70% of Florida voters approved medical marijuana in 2016 and today I signed SB182 “Medical Use of Marijuana” into law. I thank my colleagues in the Legislature for working with me to ensure the will of the voters is upheld,” tweets Governor Ron DeSantis.

Supporters of the bill claim that this is a landmark victory for medical marijuana patients, who have been limited under the former governor’s restrictions.

Edible Sales of Medical Cannabis in Florida

Florida’s struggle to accept medical marijuana has shown how difficult it is for states to pass reasonable laws for medical marijuana. One of the issues is the “type” of marijuana or cannabis that is legal.

Edibles are a very desirable option for patients suffering from terminal illnesses or pain, but Florida, like some other states, have to implement laws that regulate the edibles industry.

Edibles allow users to enjoy the health benefits of cannabis without the smoke factor, which may contribute to lung-related issues. The agriculture department has finalized rules relating to medical marijuana growers and edibles.

Florida is expected to allow the sale of edibles in the coming months, as lawmakers hammer out the final details on food safety.

The proposed rules still have several hurdles to overcome, as the health department is seeking public input on the matter. Allergens and food poisoning remain major concerns due to many people that are prescribed medical marijuana having compromised immune systems.

Cannabis has faced an uphill battle since the early 1900s when it was caught up in alcohol prohibition. Cannabis was once used as a potent cough syrup that contained morphine, chloroform, alcohol and cannabis. Product bans resulted in pharmaceutical companies created painkillers and other medications that didn’t include painkillers.

Big Pharma has played a role in keeping cannabis from being legalized.

As states aim to legalize cannabis for medicinal use, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to stave off lobbying from the pharmaceutical industry and stop lawmakers from fighting against the medical cannabis industry.

DeSantis’ stance on the matter is simple.

“Whether they have to smoke it or not, who am I to judge?” he said earlier this year.

Still, medical marijuana cannot be smoked in public or private businesses under the state’s cigarette smoking ban.

Marijuana is legal in over 30 states, and is helping Americans combat dozens of health problems. The list of conditions vary from state-to-state, but doctors normally have to certify a patient for an approved condition before prescribing medical marijuana. Chronic pain remains the most common reason that Louisiana Medical Marijuana Doctors in Lake Charles prescribe medical marijuana to patients.