TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed legislation Monday to lift the ban on smokeable medical marijuana in Florida, according to the governor’s office.
- Gov. DeSantis signs smokeable medical marijuana bill
- The legislation lifts Florida's ban on smokeable medical marijuana
- LINK: Read the bill here
- FLORIDA GOVERNMENT GUIDE:
The bill, SB 182 “Medical Use of Marijuana,” passed the Florida House last week. Now that DeSantis has signed the measure into law, it will do the following:
- Lift the ban on smoking medical marijuana
- Ban smoking low-THC cannabis in public
- Prohibit smoking medical marijuana in an indoor workplace
- Ban patients under 18 from smoking medical marijuana unless they are diagnosed with a terminal condition
State Sen. Linda Stewart co-sponsored the smokeable marijuana bill this session and believes this will help people with debilitating diseases.
“I am glad (it got) where it is, and we have spent a number of years trying to get here as a way of reducing their pain and suffering. (Patients) are allowed to have up to 35 days of 2.6 oz,” Stewart said.
Attorney Matt Morgan and his firm pushed hard for the original amendment.
“Patients with ALS will finally get access to medication which is going to help them, cancer patients can get relieve they desperately need,” he said.
Although voters approved medical marijuana in 2016, Florida legislators banned smokable marijuana in a bill signed by former Gov. Rick Scott in 2017.
The state was sued over the issue, and a judge declared the ban unconstitutional.
Along with signing the medical marijuana smoking repeal, DeSantis also announced the state is dropping its previous appeal of court rulings that also would have ended the ban.
DeSantis had set a mid-March deadline in January to get a bill to lift the ban passed. The Governor had said he would drop lawsuits over the ban if that didn't happen.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.