Florida Lawmakers Approve Bill to Butcher Medical Cannabis Law Approved by Voters

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Florida Lawmakers Approve Bill to Butcher Medical Cannabis Law Approved by Voters

A Florida House committee has overwhelmingly passed a measure that would drastically alter a medical cannabis law approved by voters last year.

The House Health Quality Subcommittee passed House Bill 1397 yesterday with a 14 to 1 vote. The measure, sponsored by House Majority Leader Ray Rodrigues, would prohibit the smoking of medical cannabis and cannabis products and would ban edibles entirely. In addition, it would prohibit patients from vaping unless they are terminally ill. This would leave patients to rely on other methods of consumption such as topicals and pills.

This would be a drastic change to Amendment 2, the initiative that legalized medical cannabis in the state; it was approved by voters in November with 71% in favor. The constitutional amendment allows those with a recommendation from a physician to possess and use medical cannabis, and to purchase it from a licensed dispensary.

According to Ben Pollara, campaign manager for United for Care, the group behind Amendment 2, the new law was designed “for the less than 29% who voted against Amendment 2, rather than the over 71% who voted “Yes” on the constitutional amendment.”

House Bill 1397 has been sent to the House Appropriations Committee.


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Those in Florida who oppose these proposed changes should contact their district’s legislators and urge them to vote “No” on House Bill 1397 if given the opportunity; if you don’t know who your legislators are you can look them up by clicking here.

4 Comments

  • Bev
    March 29, 2017

    The “click here” link you provide takes readers to the Senate page. What you want is the House page which is found at http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Representatives/myrepresentative.aspx

    We will need to use the Senate link once that side starts their shenanigans

  • Becky
    March 30, 2017

    When will our ‘representatives’ start representing the majority? These people obviously don’t care what their constituents want. They’re blocking democracy. I’m not a MJ user, but how hateful is it for these people to keep this all natural pain reliever from those who should rightfully have access to it. Cold heartless people, that’s who. I’m fighting this one!

  • Doc Deadhead
    April 3, 2017

    Don’t worry Floridians, they cannot write laws OVER-RIDING the current VOTER approved law.

    They tried this in Michigan also but the first case to hit the courts here was thrown out.

    The legislature wrote a law stating the cannabis had to be in a locked box, in the trunk or not accessible to the driver.

    The law we voted on simply stated we were allowed to transport.

    According to the constitution, congress can only pass laws on voter approved proposals that will IMPROVE the bill, not take away from it.

    The Judge in this case stated the original voter approved bill said we were allowed to transport and that the “locked box” thing was un-contitutional as it took away from the original.

    Haters will try anything they can do to dismantle this but according to original language they will fail.

    We can thank the original writers of the constitution for adding this clause of congress not being able to destroy a bill they don’t like, it is still up to the people!

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