TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (The News Service of Florida) - Patients could soon be smoking medical marijuana.
But they'd have to purchase pre-rolled joints with filters, under a measure approved by a key House panel Tuesday.
Republican leaders in both the House and Senate are crafting legislation to nix a state ban on smoking medical marijuana, following an ultimatum issued by Governor Ron DeSantis.
The House plan originally would have required doctors to get the approval of a "case review panel" before being able to order smokable marijuana for patients.
But on Tuesday, House Health and Human Services Committee Chairman Ray Rodrigues, offered an amendment getting rid of the "case review" from the proposal.
He says the new governor is the reason for the change.
"It's very clear that this governor is more supportive of honoring the people's will and getting the constitutional amendment implemented than what we saw from the previous administration," said Rodrigues.
The panel signed off on the measure with a 14-2 vote, after hearing from patients and other advocates who mainly supported the revamped bill and who urged lawmakers to get rid of the smoking prohibition.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - The Florida Legislature is getting closer to meeting Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis' demand that the state repeal a ban on smokable medical marijuana.
The House Health and Human Services Committee approved a bill on a 14-2 vote Tuesday that would allow doctors to prescribe smokable marijuana. The bill restricts its use to pre-rolled, filtered marijuana cigarettes.
Doctors would also have to report other forms of marijuana that patients tried and state that the benefits of smoking outweigh the risks. Smokable marijuana couldn't be prescribed to anyone under 18.
Voters approved medical marijuana in 2016, but lawmakers banned smokable forms when they implemented the amendment. A judge declared the ban unconstitutional. Then-Gov. Rick Scott appealed the ruling.
DeSantis said he wants lawmakers to repeal the ban, otherwise he'll drop the state's appeal.
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