Representative Andrew Learned (D- Brandon) and Representative Spencer Roach (R- Ft. Myers) yesterday filed bipartisan legislation relating to the medical marijuana and hemp statutes.
HB 679 would be the first major update to the medical cannabis statutes since the constitutional amendment passed over five years ago. Bringing together both sides of the historical debate, HB679 is a bipartisan compromise that will save patients over 60% on the cost of their medicine, extend the telehealth executive order, and keep harmful products off shelves and away from kids.
“This bill represents the best of bipartisan compromise in your Florida House,” said Rep. Learned. “We are working to deliver significant cost savings for patients, make the program more user-friendly, and at the same time ensure safety for both patients and our children.”
Here’s some of what is in the proposal:
- New restrictions on Delta-8 and other synthetic marijuana products that exploit loopholes in the law to sell mind-altering and untested products to children totally unregulated.
- Two-year medical marijuana license cards and 8-month doctor appointments which together will cut the costs of participation in the medical marijuana program by over 60%.
- Telehealth recertification of medical marijuana doctor visits which helps make participation in the program cheaper, simpler, and more convenient for our patients.
- Restrictions on marijuana doctor advertising towards children and in online spaces.
- End the practice for Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers to “flip” their licenses for monetary gain without having to ever sell actual products which reduce options for Florida patients.
- New testing regimes that keep products safe, increase transparency and start creating recommendations on effective DUI roadside testing to keep our streets safe.
“This is a true bipartisan effort to ensure patients have access to a safe medical marijuana program as demanded by an overwhelming majority of Florida voters in 2016, by putting common sense safeguards in place to develop standards, increase transparency, and keep MMJ products away from children,” said Representative Roach.
