Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster
The Florida House on Wednesday began considering a bill that would expand medical marijuana in Florida.
The House began discussing the measure (HB 307), and Rep. Matt Gaetz, the Fort Walton Beach Republican sponsoring the bill, fielded questions from lawmakers on the proposal. The bill is expected to receive a vote on Thursday.
The bill expands the 2015 Right to Try Act to include medical cannabis. The 2015 law allows terminally ill patients to try experimental treatments that have passed the first phase of a clinical trial, but haven’t been approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
Under the plan, eligible patients, defined by the 2015 law as someone with one year left to live, to purchase medical marijuana from dispensing organizations. Under the expansion, organizations would be allowed to cultivate and distribute medical cannabis, or marijuana derived from the whole plant, to patients who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness under the Right to Try Act.
The bill also creates new regulatory standards for dispensing organizations. It also gives assurances to the five nurseries that won licenses last year to produce and sell medical marijuana.
It also opens the door for more dispensing organizations. Under the bill, three more dispensing organizations would be approved once 250,000 qualified patients register with the compassionate use registry.
The bill was amended Wednesday to put it in line with a similar Senate bill scheduled to be heard this week.
Lawmakers shot down two amendments sponsored by Rep. Randolph Bracy, an Orlando Democrat, that authorizes more dispensing organizations. The first amendment would have authorized 10 additional dispensing organizations; while the second would have lowered the threshold for new dispensing organizations to 50,000 qualified patients.
Lawmakers did approve an amendment by Rep. Mia Jones, a Jacksonville Democrat, that secures a place in line for black farmers when more dispensing organizations apply to come online. Another amendment, sponsored by Rep. Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda, a Tallahasee Democrat, allows colleges and university with a college of agriculture to conduct cannabis research.
The House will likely vote on the measure Thursday.
