The Florida Senate's version of a bill for medical marijuana passed its final committee stop Tuesday, but what happens now is unclear.
- FL Senate medical marijuana bill passes committees
- Bill's sponsor working on compromise with FL House sponsor
- House bill more restrictive than Senate bill
- RELATED: House medical marijuana bill adds new restriction
- CAPITOL CONNECTION: Latest News | Contact your Florida legislators
SB 406 passed the Senate Appropriations Committee Tuesday, and should go to the Senate floor for a vote.
But the bill's sponsor, FL Sen. Rob Bradley (R-Orange Park), is in talks with the sponsor of the House bill (HB 1397), FL Rep. Ray Rodrigues (R-Estero).
Both lawmakers are hopeful they can reach a compromise, but they aren't there yet.
Both bills have some similarities -- they ban smoking and using the drug in public, for instance -- but the House bill is far more restrictive. Advocates prefer the Senate bill, which allows vaping and edibles, and calls for adding more dispensaries in the next few months.
Stephani Scruggs-Bowen of Pensacola, whose husband has epilepsy, says increased competition would help lower prices. She said the cannabis prescribed for Michael Bowen costs $500 per month in Colorado, but sells for $3,000 per month in Florida, and does not have as much cannabidiol, the ingredient that helps prevent seizures.
"Everyone knows of people who this can help treat. They know it is not a bunch of dreadlocked hippies and stoners. It is real people like my husband," she said.
The constitutional amendment, approved by 71 percent of voters last November, expands the list of illnesses qualifying for medical marijuana prescriptions beyond cancer, terminal illnesses, epilepsy and chronic muscle spasms. HIV/AIDS, glaucoma, post-traumatic stress disorder, ALS, Crohn's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, or other similar conditions now qualify for the drug.
If the legislature fails to reach a deal on medical marijuana, the Florida Health Dept. will be left to implement the medical marijuana constitutional amendment on its own. But the agency has already said it would probably leave the current medical marijuana policies in place if that happens.
FL House vs. FL Senate medical marijuana bills
| HB 1397 | SB 406 |
|---|---|
| Bans smoking | Bans smoking |
| Does not allow use in public | Does not allow use in public |
| Seed-to-sale tracking system | Seed-to-sale tracking system |
| Bans vaping, edibles | Allows vaping, edibles |
| Allows for more dispensaries after 150,000 patients | Allows for more dispensaries after 75,000 patients |
| No additional dispensaries immediately | Allows for more dispensaries by Oct. 3, 2017 |
| Keeps 90-day waiting period for drug | Ends 90-day waiting period for drug |
| Bans telemedicine, patients must be seen in person | Allows for telemedicine |
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.