Posted on 03/14/2019 10:54:31 AM PDT by NobleFree
TALLAHASSEE - Without much debate and two days before Gov. Ron DeSantis’ deadline, a bill to repeal a ban on smoking medical marijuana has finally rolled onto the governor’s desk.
The Florida House affirmed the right to smoke medical pot Wednesday afternoon, approving the Senate bill to include “smoking” to the language in the medical marijuana constitutional amendment. The bill allows patients to receive up to 2.5 ounces of whole flower cannabis every 35 days as recommended by their qualified doctor.
The bill passed 101-11. Seven representatives were not present for the vote.
DeSantis in January tasked the Legislature with amending Florida law to allow smoking medical marijuana. If legislators didn’t by the March 15 deadline he set, the governor said he would do so with litigation.
House Speaker José Oliva has openly criticized smoking medicinal marijuana as an option, saying efforts to legalize it are just “some cover” for getting access to recreational marijuana.
“I’ve been in the smoke business my entire life and I’ve never heard anyone say it’s good for you,” the Miami Lakes Republican and cigar company CEO said then.
On Wednesday, Oliva told reporters that he had reservations then and still has them now.
“This is a difficult issue ... This is the best that we could do and still remain responsible,” he said. “I would certainly have been interested to hear what would have come of that appeal. We might still. But I think that the most important thing was that the elected lawmakers of the state have an opportunity to legislate how this will be governed in our state.”
In 2016, about 71 percent of voting Floridians approved a constitutional amendment to legalize medical marijuana. While the 2017 bill signed into law by Gov. Rick Scott legalized access to the drug in pill, oil, edible and vape form, it made smoking it illegal.
The provision, which became known as the “smoking ban,” was challenged in circuit court in July 2017. In May 2018, Leon County Circuit Judge Karen Gievers ruled the smoking ban to be unconstitutional, but the Department of Health appealed the ruling. After DeSantis announced his intent to drop the appeal, both parties filed a motion to stay the appeal until this month.
In addition to repealing the ban on smoking, the bill passed Wednesday also establishes a Medical Marijuana Research and Education Board. The board will oversee a research consortium established by the state university system’s Board of Governors, which will receive $1.5 million for the program. Instead of only including the University of Florida as the previous law did, all universities can apply to participate. House bill sponsor Rep. Ray Rodrigues said expanding the research is something that “we would be benefited from.”
The bill also requires a second opinion from a board-certified pediatrician for non-terminal patients under age 18.
“While there’s not a lot of science out there currently on the effects of medical marijuana there’s a body of science on the effects of medical marijuana to the developing brain,” Rodrigues said. “But with children who have a terminal illness, long-term concerns are secondary to the short-term concerns.”
It deletes a provision that prohibits a medical marijuana treatment center from selling products like pipes, bongs or rolling papers. Another amendment passed to allow patients to buy those products at third-party locations if they are using marijuana for medical use. The bill only addresses the repeal of the smoking ban and does not address the current integration structure surrounding medical marijuana treatment centers nor does it address provisions like drug-free workplace protections.
If the chamber didn’t pass a bill to repeal a ban on smoking marijuana, the ban would be dissolved via litigation.
Rodrigues, chair of the chamber’s Health & Human Services Committee, said without a bill, no “guardrails” would exist to protect patients through rule-making like second opinions for minors and limits on recommended doses from certified physicians.
“It is upon [doctors] to do their jobs, to treat this as medicine and be diligent about how they’re recommending it to their patients,” said Rodrigues, R-Estero. “We’ll be watching and we’ll be hopeful that the best will occur. If the best does not occur, this subject will be revisited in the future.”
DeSantis has two days to review the bill before his own deadline to enact a law.
Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, a former marijuana lobbyist who campaigned on the promise of expanded access to the medicine, said the legislation was needed.
“Today’s action to finally allow smokable medical marijuana brings four words to the lips of people across our state: ‘It’s about damn time,’ ” Fried said. “I’m thankful for the House and Senate’s work to fix this situation.”
Still horse chit. VAPE IT. But in a different post I did mention something that will help. Doctors cannot prescribe it and it cannot be patented as it is just a food.
99% of doctors done of it cause Pharma does not teach what they cannot sell. Besides, it is a hated thing, a cure.
Sell a cure you make a little money once, sell SYMPTOMATIC relief and you have an addict that will make you money for lifem
Agree - when our son was dying from cancer, we found him some marijuana to help him cope....illegal in MS but some things call for “drastic” measure.
Didn’t partake myself but it seemed to help him deal with the pain and other side-effects of the treatments.
Ban Alcoholism? Sure, it IS illegal you know.
If you have and use a medical marijuana card, you cannot legally purchase a firearm, by federal law, even in a state which legally allows marijuana. Technically, anyone who uses illegal drugs cannot own or purchase a firearm. When the federal government de-criminalizes marijuana use, then you’ll be legal. I’m sure that will affect a fair number of gun rights advocates. I imagine a much much lower number of them use other illegal drugs.
Ditto for alkies - should we therefore ban alcohol?
Ban Alcoholism?
Evading the question.
Sure, it IS illegal you know.
Unsupported and dubious claim.
I am glad it helped him to whatever degree it did.
I don’t have the words.
All I have is some prayers to send your family’s way.
Unlikely - schizophrenia and dementia didn't spike over the decades that marijuana use grew.
So tired of hearing this crap is harmless by morons.
Nobody in the article or on this thread said that ... hearing voices?
A better idea than smoking, for sure. I don't know how easy it is to get vape-able cannabis, though ...
Lyons Mane mushroom is the ONLY substance known to man that triggers the production of Nerve Growth Hormone after the body stops producing it around the age of 222.It is useful for injury, parkinsons disease and Multiple Sclerosis. Also useful to help with vaccine damaged Mylan sheath nerve damage.
It does not produce a lot, progress is slow but, it works.
A neighbor developed Bells Paley that caused a severe facial tick. It according to the doctor was incurable. She mixed a level teaspoon of powdered Lyons Mane from Amazon in her daily herbal tea and within a year it is completely gone.
However a good tincture would have been much stronger.
Please do a few searches on it so you can learn about tinctures. And how that mushroom works.
It has been medically proven that skitzo and depression are verified side effects of marijuana use.
It is not hearing voices, it’s called study and reading.
My mom uses a cbd/thc oil orally. When combined with tramadol it helps more than the tramadol alone.
I agree with this vote. Prohibition has been, and will continue to be, a complete failure.
Now that the public has discovered real medical benefits from marijuana, there will be no stopping the tide of acceptance.
I used tinctures for the CBD oil.
Much more potent that way than a pill.
I’m very impulsive.
I’ve already ordered a tincture of Lion’s Mane.
Yes dementia and schizophrenia have drastically spiked in the last five decades. If you dont read medical reports for some rastafarian religious reason, just take a walk downtown in any major US city.
-grin-
Neither are legal in my state, but oil seems to be as easy to get as weed.
I know people who smoke it openly in the local watering hole I stop by.
Flavored, so it just smells like the non-cannabis vape.
Excellent news. Research into the health benefits of cannabinoids is sorely needed.
I am glad she gets some comfort from it.
I did get a lot early on.
My body adjust too quickly to everything.
I took a ton of roxys maybe 7 years ago. It was script. Came off of it cold turkey and felt nothing.
Now klonopin, i went through SEVERE withdrawals coming off of it.
Again, I am glad your mom gets help from the combination of Tramadol and CBD oil.
TOO FUNNY!!
It’s what I just ordered before I got this post. :)
i’ve tried so many scam and scheme supplements that I probably spent in excess of 3,000 over the past half a dozen years.
This one is actually backed by reputable sites online.
Thank you again.
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