A proposal by Florida House Majority Leader Ray Rodrigues that would prohibit smoking medical cannabis, ban edibles and all but terminally ill patients from using vaporization as a delivery method, was approved by the House Health Quality Subcommittee, according to a News Chief report. Additionally, the House plan would see fewer additional cannabis licenses than a competing Senate proposal.
“I believe this is a measured approach,” Rodrigues, a Republican, said. “But I will caution you that it is not the final product.”
The House bill would require the Department of Health to award five more licenses once the medical cannabis patient population reaches 200,000, and three more licenses for every additional 100,000 registered patients. The Senate proposal would require the Health Department to issue five new licenses by the end of the year and 20 more by the time the patient count reaches 500,000.
Currently, there are only seven licensed medical cannabis operators registered with the state. A November 2015 report from the Florida of Office of Economic & Demographic Research estimated that patient counts in the state would reach anywhere between 1,586 and 440,522 this year; however that was prior to voters expanding the medical cannabis program via Amendment 2 last November. According to a Sun Sentinel report, the passage of the Amendment was estimated to add a possible 500,000 patients to the rolls.
The House measure would also keep a required three-month relationship between patients and physicians before a cannabis recommendation can be made.
Opponents of the voter-backed amendment applauded the potential changes; while Ben Pollara, campaign manager for the United for Care campaign, said the plan “was written for the less than 29 percent who voted ‘no’ and undermines and contradicts the constitution.”