Florida Medical Marijuana Amendment

Florida Medical Marijuana Law

With the passage of Florida Amendment 2, qualifying patients gained a legal pathway to access medical marijuana products, offering them a potential tool to manage their symptoms and enhance their quality of life. There were three distinct legal pieces that were approved to authorize medical cannabis access for qualified patients in Florida. 

The Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act

Florida’s journey toward legalizing the adult personal use of marijuana for treatments began in June 2014 with the Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act, the first law of its kind in the state. Signed by Governor Rick Scott, this act allowed patients with qualifying conditions like cancer, epilepsy, and chronic seizures to access low-THC cannabis. This specific type of cannabis contained no more than 0.8% THC, the psychoactive component, but at least 10% CBD, the non-psychoactive compound with potential therapeutic benefits.

The inception of the Office of Compassionate Use within the Florida Department of Health marked a pivotal moment. Entrusted with the responsibility of supervising the state’s burgeoning medical cannabis program, this initiative laid the foundation for future legislative strides. Building upon this crucial first step, the Florida’s Medical Marijuana Amendment emerged in 2016, ushering in a new era by broadening access to an extensive array of medical marijuana products.

The Florida Medical Marijuana Legalization Initiative

Florida voters in 2016 overwhelmingly approved the Medical Marijuana Legalization Initiative, also known as Amendment 2, significantly expanding the state’s medical marijuana program. This ballot initiative opened up access to patients with a wider variety of qualifying conditions, offering relief for those battling cancer, epilepsy, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, Crohn’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis.

Apart from expanding eligible conditions, Amendment 2 ushered in key changes:

• More treatment options: Patients gained access to medical marijuana in various forms, not just smoking.

• Licensed producers: Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers (MMTCs) were established to cultivate and distribute products.

This landmark amendment paved the way for greater availability and accessibility of medical marijuana, offering much-needed relief to many Florida patients.

Legalization of Smokable Medical Cannabis

In 2019, Florida finally caught up to the will of its people by legalizing smokable medical cannabis. Though Amendment 2, passed in 2016, had legalized the adult personal use of medical marijuana, a previous law inexplicably banned smoking it. This contradiction was rectified when Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill in March 2019, allowing patients with qualifying conditions to access smokable cannabis as treatment.

This decision was a major win for patients and advocates who had long argued that smoking was actually an effective method of treatment for many patients. They highlighted its benefits for patients with chronic pain, PTSD, and terminal illnesses, for whom other methods do not work that well. By legalizing smokable medical cannabis, Florida not only respected the wishes of its voters but also expanded treatment options and increased access for patients in need. Keep in mind that this is only about medical cannabis not recreational marijuana which is still prohibited.

In Florida, smokable medical marijuana possession comes with several limitations:

• Quantity: You can only purchase a maximum of 2.5 ounces in a 35-day rolling period. This means your purchase history is tracked, and you can’t buy again until 35 days have passed since your last purchase, even if it wasn’t the full 2.5 ounces.

• Supply: Your doctor can’t write a recommendation for more than six 35-day supply limits of smokable marijuana. This effectively caps your total purchase over a longer period.

• Dosage: There’s also a daily THC dosage limit for smokable products, set at 2.025 grams. This translates to roughly 223mg of THC per day. Exceeding this limit requires special approval.
• Exceptions: In rare cases, exceptions to these limits may be granted by the state based on specific medical needs documented by your doctor.

Also Amendment 3, aka Marijuana Legalization Initiative has successfully qualified for the ballot in Florida as a proposed constitutional amendment in Florida Supreme Court. On November 5, 2024, voters will cast their votes on this significant proposal.

This proposed amendment aims to legalize recreational marijuana for adults aged 21 years and older. If approved by the state supreme court, individuals would be allowed up to three ounces of marijuana possession, with an additional allowance of up to five grams in concentrated form. Existing Florida’s licensed medical marijuana operators would be authorized to sell recreational marijuana.

The initiative is sponsored by Smart Safe Florida. They argue that legalizing recreational marijuana would enhance accountability, transparency, and safety by regulating product quality and eliminating the illegal medical marijuana market.

In order to access medical marijuana in Florida, individuals are required to have a qualifying medical condition and secure a medical marijuana identification card through consultation with an authorized physician. This card serves as the golden ticket, granting patients the privilege and utilize medical marijuana exclusively from state licensed entities.

Florida Amendment 2 permits the medicinal use of marijuana for individuals diagnosed with particular debilitating medical conditions, such as: