Proposal Filed To Overhaul Medical Marijuana Law

August 14, 2015

More than a year after lawmakers approved allowing limited types of medical marijuana to be sold in Florida, a House Republican filed a bill Thursday that would overhaul the law.

The proposal (HB 63), filed by Rep. Greg Steube, R-Sarasota, will be considered during the 2016 session and comes as the Florida Department of Health still is trying to carry out the law passed in 2014. That law would allow some patients, such as children with severe epilepsy, to obtain types of low-THC medical marijuana that purportedly do not get users high.

Steube’s bill would replace the 2014 law with a 33-page measure that addresses a wide range of issues, including who could receive the medical marijuana and where it could be sold. As an example, the proposal would allow patients to qualify if they have cancer, HIV, AIDS, epilepsy, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, Parkinson’s disease or a terminal illness — a more-detailed list than under the current law.

As another example of the proposed changes, Steube’s bill would give county commissions the ability to determine whether medical marijuana would be sold in their counties. The bill would prevent the Department of Health from licensing retail facilities in communities unless county commissions pass ordinances specifying the numbers and locations of such facilities that would be allowed.

by The News Service of Florida

Comments

8 Responses to “Proposal Filed To Overhaul Medical Marijuana Law”

  1. Sick on August 18th, 2015 11:19 am

    Post Lyme Syndrome or Chronic Lyme Disease should be added also.

  2. Mike Powers on August 15th, 2015 10:55 pm

    In the mean time anyone can buy pot for any reason at a store in Colorado and Washington State. I was so surprised to find pot store adverts in a local Washington paper. It is bizarre to have such different policies on pot

  3. Reality Check on August 15th, 2015 10:14 pm

    Does anyone else find it interesting that children as young as 11 can now be prescribed OxyContin, but marijuana is still illegal? Moreover, marijuana is a schedule one drug still. Schedule one, meaning “no medicinal use”.

  4. Bob C. on August 15th, 2015 3:38 pm

    How about trying to legislate the pain, suffering, seizures, horrible illnesses of the people?
    Hey, just Legislate that there will be no illness…..what a stupid group of people trying to keep help away from those who most severely need relief.
    Is all this just Political Posturing so somebody can show they are More Conservative than others?
    For the Love of GOD…..HELP the folks who are suffering.

  5. Lone Chief on August 15th, 2015 12:37 pm

    Oh, now they want to throw county commissions into the mix. This will never be implemented in FL. They lied, pure and simple. It is apparently too much to appeal for the thousands of Floridians who could benefit from a natural medicine. Screw legalization…just decriminalize it! There, now no big silly decisions need to be made by folks who could give a crap about anything unless there is something in it for them. HEY FLORIDA it’s time to actually vote for good people. Cull the herd.

  6. Bratt resident on August 14th, 2015 11:32 am

    Weed is a lot safer than all this other crap they give people the pain pills the anxiety meds this is all in one!!

  7. molinoman on August 14th, 2015 8:46 am

    And if it becomes legal it will take 5 years to implement it, just look at Charlotte’s Web. The big wigs must make as much as they can off it instead of just letting people grow their own personal.

  8. 429SCJ on August 14th, 2015 6:53 am

    I feel that PDSD (Post Dramatic Stress Disorder) should be added to the list of maladies.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News