A.G. Gancarski
There are a number of pieces of unfinished business for the Florida Legislature this month; among them: agreeing on rules for medical cannabis.
The regular Legislative Session ended without complete agreement from the Senate and the House, especially on caps for retail dispensaries for licensed growers.
While the Special Session announced on Friday by Gov. Rick Scott, House Speaker Richard Corcoran, and Senate President Joe Negron did not include explicit reference to medical marijuana as one of the issues to be addressed, there is appetite for resolving issues legislatively.
And a bit of a recalibration in Senate strategy, as POLITICO Florida reported Friday.
“It is my understanding that Sen. [Rob] Bradley will continue to be the bill sponsor in a Special Session,” Sen. Bill Galvano, the next Senate President, told POLITICO Florida.
“Leader [Wilton] Simpson is going to take more of a role in the negotiations on the issue as Majority Leader,” Galvano added.
We asked Sen. Bradley what the ramifications of that would be, in terms of process and policy.
“I wouldn’t read too much into the situation,” Bradley texted us Friday morning, regarding the Galvano quote.
“Simpson and I cross train on many issues and often work together to get them done. We are close friends and colleagues and I’m glad he’s involved to help bring this in for a landing,” Bradley added.
“The singular focus of the Senate is access to patients who deserve this medicine. The bill I present on the floor next week will likely be very similar to the versions that were 95% worked out with the House during regular session,” Bradley concluded.
With the pitched rhetoric of the Legislative Session being dialed down ahead of the Special Session on other issues, expect that medical cannabis will be yet another issue on which pragmatism ultimately prevails.
House Speaker Corcoran asserted Friday morning that the “House has communicated to … the Senate that this is an issue we believe must be addressed and that we are prepared to expand the call to address the implementation of the constitutional amendment approved by voters of the constitutional amendment approved by the voters during the 2016 election.”
2 comments
Heisenburg
June 2, 2017 at 4:35 pm
Dear Governor Scott,
Tobacco and alcohol in the long term can lead to death due to the deterioration they exert on the body. Further, alcohol can lead to death due to it’s addictive properties. Neither have medicinal benefit.
Cannabis on the other hand, has not been demonstrated to have physically addictive properties. For instance, cessation of use can not lead to death or deteriorated function like alcohol. Also, no death in human history due to cannabis has been recorded.
According to the facts, the substance is harmless. Yet the state of Florida insists on refusing patients access, while taking away money and freedom from those who have been caught with possession of the substance in small amounts.
Care to explain?
Bob Dakota
June 3, 2017 at 10:36 am
Here a novel idea, let our local governments decide the who, what, where and how of the MMTC. Some counties or cities will be all in others will op out completely but let our local government officials who we see every day and who know whats best for it’s citizens make the decisions. The state can set the standards such as testing, state licensing, criminal background checks etc. Let our doctors make our medical decisions not some board in Tallahassee. Our corrupt politicians, Senator Bradley, should stay out of the day to day operations, stop the power grab and think about the sick and dying that will actually benefit from this medicine. According to the language in amendment 2 the DOH has to develop reasonable regulations. Reasonable is a horizontal free market that will provide access, quality, education and fair pricing all of which Floridians currently do not have under the current monopoly. The licensees have served themselves and not the sick and dying. Time for our government to get it right.
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