A.G. Gancarski
Two hundred doctors slammed a THC cap proposal ahead of its advancing in a House committee hearing Thursday.
The bill has now been advanced by two committees, and has one more to go before potentially being considered by the full legislative body.
Sponsored by Rep. Spencer Roach, HB 1455 seeks to limit the levels of the controversial compound to 10% for smokable marijuana and 60% in all other products. The proposal already passed one committee and has proved divisive.
Thursday’s physician phalanx, in a letter presented by advocacy group Florida for Care, blasted the THC cap proposal as a “completely arbitrary restriction on care, with no basis in science, medicine or public health policy.”
Doctors say the THC cap bills have become worse: “While this is the third year that some more of THC caps have been proposed, this year’s bills are worse than in the past, as they now want to CAP all other medical cannabis products (excepting edibles, which are already capped by law) at 60% THC, in addition to limiting a patient’s total allowable amount of THC by milligram every 35 days.”
This goes “against the will” of those who voted for medical marijuana five years ago, passing Amendment 2 in 71% of the vote. As well, the proposal will “only hurt medical marijuana patients.”
The doctors note that “patient satisfaction is through the roof and negative outcomes are exceedingly rare, and rather benign when they do occur. These bills come directly between us and our patients in deciding the best course of treatment for their unique medical needs.”
There have been no cases of “catastrophic outcome” in the medical marijuana program, doctors note. The state now has nearly half a million patients.
The doctors note that the bill would benefit the black market: “illegal, unregulated marijuana sellers” would take over from the current dispensary system should the official product be gutted with the cap.
While the THC cap bill is moving in the House, it is currently stalled in the Senate, where it has yet to get its first committee hearing. Pro-cannabis Judiciary Committee Chairman Jeff Brandes seems disinclined to put the bill on a committee agenda.
Roach’s bill (HB 1455) has started to move, and the sponsor bristles at criticism from the medical community.
“Doctors and patients are taking advantage of our medical program to do two things: Get rich and get high. Period,” Roach said as the bill cleared its first committee.
The potency caps from Roach’s legislation would not apply to terminal patients. The bill would also restrict minors from obtaining anything other than “low-THC” cannabis unless a physician states otherwise and a second concurring physician opinion is received.
The opposition notes that lower THC concentrations will only cause patients to use more product, making them hit their monthly limit sooner.
“If you cut the potency in half, people are just going to take double the amount they take. It is, in my opinion, a very bad idea. But I think the intent is not to have this be a good idea where more people are getting the medicine they need. I think the idea is to drive down sales as much as possible,” House Democratic Co-Leader Evan Jenne said.
26 comments
Ron Ogden
March 18, 2021 at 2:35 pm
Wow! 200 doctors. . .out of, what, maybe 40,000 in the state? You can get a half of one percent of any group to offer some sort of crackpot (joke!!!) political opinion if you look hard enough. People got along very well with ZERO THC for about, oh, five thousand years. Now we need to get high to be well. How many intoxicated people do we need in Florida?
charles graham
March 18, 2021 at 5:47 pm
Well arent you loudly ignorant. Thc has helped kids who have uncontrollable seizures, live a normal life without seizures. You may have done fine without it, but people all over the world have used it since the beginning of time. If you wanna complain about something try this, weed has never killed anyone ever in history but alcohol kills people everyday in different ways. Maybe consider taking something that is actually dangerous and capping the percentage on that. I bet you dont like that idea though because it impeads on your rights. Now put the shoe on the other foot.
charles
March 18, 2021 at 6:01 pm
your comments are beyond ridiculous.. Your worried about intoxicated people running around. I worry about uneducated, ignorant, misinformed people like you.
D Timple
March 18, 2021 at 7:18 pm
Marijuana has been helping people as medicine for over 5000 yrs, cannabis was widely used in ancient egypt , among other civilizations, look it up
Smokey Tokes
March 18, 2021 at 11:00 pm
You come across as ignorant, old and obtuse. People have actually been using cannabis for quite a while. Mushrooms too, in fact. We see them referenced in cave paintings that pre-date written language as a forms of record keeping. More progressive and forward thinking countries have already approved psychedelics for the treatment of Chronic depression, PTSD, and even end of life patients struggling with the fear of death. Just because YOU are too narrow minded and short sighted to see the benefits of the plant and it’s compounds doesn’t mean the rest of us should suffer for your ignorance. 71% of us voted for it. So kindly get bent, and do some research.
Anthony Marino
March 18, 2021 at 11:41 pm
None of your business clown
Jeremy
March 19, 2021 at 7:52 am
I’m not sure if you were aware but people have been smoking marijuana along time before it hit the shelves
Fu Kyu
March 19, 2021 at 11:29 am
I agree. No intoxication! Ban the THC, ban the alcohol, and ban the nicotine!
Brian Fennell
March 19, 2021 at 5:45 pm
Um…Alcohol. You are not smart… at all.
Richard Matthew
March 20, 2021 at 12:57 am
Who are you? Everybody’s damn mother? Yeah we all understand intoxication not good for you but you know what Jackass is good for your soul and build character nobody said you have to beer complete addict. These lawmakers with their hookers and their crack cocaine and hotel rooms and I can’t smoke a going in my own damn house? If I feel like quitting, I’ll ask your permission okay? Do this no. No the other, do us all a favor and just die off with the rest of them. I guess you don’t think human being should have more whites than do you? You can do whatever you want with your life. And so can I. So STFU jackass!
Keith E Nicholson
March 20, 2021 at 1:20 pm
You my friend are just sad to say ignorant You’re probably the type of guy that drinks a 12-pack when he comes home from work and if not I am a medical marijuana patient I have had over 20 surgeries and it has been a godsend Don’t let people die from alcohol cigarettes and obesity and leave a natural healing product alone thank you
Andrew Singer
March 20, 2021 at 4:16 pm
You realize Roach brought zero doctors? I would really anticipate an oxy prescribing doc to agree anyway. They are motivated by money also. I can draw pictures if this still is not simple enough for you.
Ben Dover
March 21, 2021 at 10:31 am
First of all whats going to happen is people will purchase a container from the dispensery then throw away the product inside, go to a local street phamacist, purchase their product at a cheaper price with a higher thc level that will sit at a higher % which florida doesn’t offer already. Then continue to live their day with no issue. If they get caught for having bud on them the container will specifically say 10% or less but what’s inside will not. This bill is a waste of time. There is no way in hell the authorities will be able to tell if the product is over 10%. So what’s the point of capping when there is a solution for this ignorance. 2nd all that’s gonna do is piss off alot of voters here in Florida and it will get those people voted out. So in a sense let them continue to pass it cause it will be a win win for the patients and not the politicians.
Mari J Bare
March 21, 2021 at 6:33 pm
Are you just an miserable ignorant person. How do you know 500 years ago there wasn’t THC? It is a natural plant that GOD put on this earth. It’s not man made like narcotics. I suppose you also have no clue how many illnesses it does treat, including cancer. I suggest you do more reading up on it. There are products out there that help and you don’t get “high” and it helps MANY be well. But it’s ok I understand. Keep taking your pills for symptoms and side effects. Become a pill head or a drunk and see what that does to your body. Eventually a Dr will suggest marijuana like loads of retirees i see daily that will tell you how much better they feel. Doing things that Drs have said they would never do again. Or the child who has 13-15 seizures a day to none with help of cannabis. Oh better yet the ones who have beat stage 4 cancer! Wake up Ron!!
Janie Watkins
March 23, 2021 at 12:11 pm
You’re so uninformed you should be embarrassed. I use medical marijuana. I do NOT GET HIGH. Imagine that. Try educating yourself.
Leslie Jones
March 25, 2021 at 3:51 pm
Could you be any more ignorant, you should be ashamed of making such an unfounded, unresearched un-EDUCATED and quite frankly just the stupidest thing I have ever heard. I hope you feel good about looking like the dumbest person in the state of Florida because well you do!
Nurse
March 25, 2021 at 4:18 pm
Ask all the people on opiods, which kill people! And, by the way, marijuana was legal until the end of prohibition in the US. Educate yourself before you start slamming others for things you don’t even understand.
Leslie Jones
March 25, 2021 at 4:58 pm
Love it !!! He is the most ignorant!
Delta 8 Near Me
March 18, 2021 at 11:41 pm
I wonder if the drug addicts in prison will be released soon
HBISME
March 19, 2021 at 1:36 am
It is amazing how a group of people get on a political train and just ride it. What happened to having your own opinion looking in the mirror and telling the truth. Instead the country has just gone partisan no matter how birrare or out or control things are.
This idea to cap the levels on Medical THC and degrigate the quality of the medicine who does it benefit?
Why would Companies like Trulieve, Muv Medmen and One Plant allow the state to let this bill pass?
DeSantis seems to be against it so therefor all the Republicants follow in there suits like scared little chickens afraid they will not get campaign support because a Trump disciple wants to tell people what to do. Yet that is the same tune that the Republicants preach all the time. “don’t take away our freedom” Don’t tell us we can’t have a gun” Yet how many deaths occur by guns? How many deaths occur by an alcohol related incident?
Hey to all you Republicants no I didn’t spell it wrong!!!
Why don’t you calculate how much money the state will lose when all the MMJ Patients take their business back to the black market. Because of a ridiculous vote to change something that is not broken. Something that would only be made better by adding adult use without a prescription and then add state tax to that.
At that point the state has all bases covered and now the industry is paying in not just the license but not on sales that are not for medical use.
Realize that the people have spoken and in time you need to keep letting the people speak don’t vote on something and change it without the people that voted for you having their voice heard.
That’s my opinion I hope it is others as well. Stop this madness!
Steve G
March 19, 2021 at 8:20 am
This bill is completely insane. Medical marijuana works, it’s proven and safe. Somewhere there is a politician, or group of politicians being paid a drug company to push this through. I use medical marijuana for back pain and have not taken a pain killer or muscle relaxer in 4 years. Multiply that by our 500,000 patients here in Florida. That a lot of money the drug company’s are losing. Open your eyes it’s not about political parties. Neither is this COVID farce. It’s all about big pharma and greed taking over the world.
Janie Watkins
March 23, 2021 at 12:17 pm
Most reasonable post I’ve read. I also use MMJ for chronic pain. I don’t even get high with the tinctures.
Your point is dead-on right. Follow the money. Big Pharma has its tentacles into a lot of politicians. Always, always follow the money.
Rose
March 19, 2021 at 11:04 am
Medical marijuana has completely changed my life from daily, intense pain from fibromyalgia and arthritis to being able enjoy daily living again. It works so well for me that I no longer have to take ANY pain medication!
So this makes me wonder how many pharmaceutical companies are behind this bill?
How dare Roach and his conservative cronies try to change something that works so effectively for so many!
If you don’t like or approve of medical marijuana there’s a simple solution- don’t use it. But STOP trying to get rid if it! Accept the fact that the majority of Floridians voted FOR it!
Richard P. Matthew Jr
March 19, 2021 at 2:50 pm
Real smart Roach. Let’s bring back the black market for cannabis. So we can have that brown, harsh, cancer, dirt weed. I’ve got news for you and everybody who is in agreement with this, people are going to do what they’re going to do anyway. I for one will tell you I will grow 4 or 5 plants for my damn self. And believe the black market will come back in a heartbeat because it already is. Put a cap on it and watch how pissed you make people by taking away their medicines. I have seizures. Since I started smoking cannabis I haven’t had one since. But all the drugs that the doctor gave me just built up my tolerance and made me lower my threshold and increased the amount! Now I’m pissed! You have no right. Nobody has any right because the American people that were for this have been stolen from. And now you can’t give me back my stimulus? Now of course that wouldn’t cover the whole stimulus but I’ll take every cent that I’ve ever spent legally and all my tax money that I’ve spent the past 3 years in the form of cash or gold please. I don’t think you realize how disgusting 10% would be. It would taste like smoking a houseplant. This is the most idiotic thing has been fought for for 50 or 60 years! And you’re going to pull the rug out from underneath people? A slow that’s dirty. That’s a politician. Scumbags. Is big Pharma backing ? I bet they sure they are! This whole world sickens me the way it operates. Greedy disgusting people will do anything for votes or money. We catch government officials with prostitutes with crack cocaine but I can’t smoke pot behind closed doors? Who the hell are you to tell me that?! My mother?! I’m a responsible adult thank you very much. Why don’t you take alcohol off the shelves. I don’t drink anymore but see what happens if you do that again let’s go through a double prohibition. LMAO. I can’t even dream of how bad that would be for you guys representing anyting. Disgusted beyond belief, Richard Matthew Junior
Leslie L Jones
March 25, 2021 at 4:00 pm
Very well said !!!
Ben Dover
March 21, 2021 at 10:34 am
First of all whats going to happen is people will purchase a container from the dispensery then throw away the product inside, go to a local street phamacist, purchase their product at a cheaper price with a higher thc level that will sit at a higher % which florida doesn’t offer already. Then continue to live their day with no issue. If they get caught for having bud on them the container will specifically say 10% or less but what’s inside will not. This bill is a waste of time. There is no way in hell the authorities will be able to tell if the product is over 10%. So what’s the point of capping when there is a solution for this ignorance. 2nd all that’s gonna do is piss off alot of voters here in Florida and it will get those people voted out. So in a sense let them continue to pass it cause it will be a win win for the patients and not the politicians. 3rd and for most let’s lower the alcohol % since it kills millions of people everyday. Oh and let’s lower the nicotine percent since people die from tobacco everyday.
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