In 2016, the Florida state government launched the Medical Marijuana Program. Since then, it has encompassed over 80 clinics/dispensaries and more than 2,000 licensed healthcare professionals for nearly 200,000 registered patients. However, it is important to know that the existing medical program will not replace the Recreational Marijuana Program (launched in 2012).
Florida has a legal “Medical Marijuana Program,” which allows individuals to receive recommendations from certified marijuana physicians. According to Florida state guidelines and marijuana program directions, patients can now apply for state-issued cards, allowing them to buy marijuana for therapeutic or medicinal use.
On March 18, 2019, DeSantis, Florida’s governor, signed senate bill no. 182 into law. This law allows a certified and qualified doctor to determine that smoking is an applicable route of medical marijuana administration.
The Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers will make sure the availability of marijuana for medicinal use in the form of smoking once the department approves a variance/modification that they might request give out marijuana in a form for smoking.
In addition, the marijuana delivery device is an objected designed, intended, and used for the preparation, storage, ingestion, inhalation, or the introduction of marijuana into the human body. People can purchase delivery devices from anywhere. It is worth noting that these centers must still give out or dispense all other types of delivery devices to qualified patients.
Certified professionals, eligible patient caregivers, and qualified patients are allowed to purchase and possess marijuana delivery devices that are only intended for therapeutic use by smoking devices from vendors other than treatment centers.
Furthermore, the law stipulates that people cannot smoke medical marijuana in any public place. Likewise, it also prohibits the use of medical marijuana in any “enclosed indoor workspace.” This is clearly defined in the “Florida Clean Indoor Air Act.”
Senate Bill 182 specifies that the Florida Department of Health requires individuals to see the physician in-person for getting access to smokable marijuana. The law requires the prescribing doctor to report other forms of marijuana or cannabis used by the patient. Additionally, patients are prohibited to request a “change order” themselves. They cannot call the physician to get this added through the phone.
The new bill requires doctors to inscribe a new order every 30-35 days. The board of medicine has been obligated to create practice standards. The law prohibits prescribing smokable marijuana for individuals under the age of 18 unless they are fatal/incurable and have a pediatrician who accords with whole flower marijuana via smoking as the only and effective treatment.
Likewise, it is important to comprehend that the Senate bill 182 has now put limitations on the amount of marijuana an individual can purchase every 35 days to 2.5 ounces. For qualified patients, the total amount of bud/flower allowed in the bill is 4 ounces.
The 2nd amendment did not change the drug possession laws of the state. So, anyone possessing 20 g or less of marijuana is an offender punishable by a maximum sentence of one-year incarceration. The law will also charge the misdemeanor a maximum fine of one thousand US dollars. Lastly, possession of more than 20 g is a serious offense and the individuals will spend a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment with a fine of five-thousand US dollars.
If you’re interested in medical marijuana in Florida, please contact our offices or visit our get started page now.