Latest news with #HB555
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Florida bill would exempt veterans from medical marijuana fees
(NewsNation) — Military veterans may soon pay less for medical marijuana if a Florida bill becomes law. HB 555 in the state legislature would exempt honorably discharged veterans from having to pay the $75 registration fee for medical marijuana cards. In Florida, the medical marijuana program requires a patient, who must be a resident, to receive a diagnosis from a physician, apply for an identification card and pay the registration fee. Wealthy Americans have similar death rate to poor Europeans: Study The bill would also require cardholders to renew their registration every two years, an extension from the previous annual requirement. Renewals also cost $75, so the bill would alleviate veterans of this fee. Because marijuana is illegal on a federal level, medical marijuana is not covered by Medicare, and any doctor's visits to obtain a qualifying diagnosis would be out of pocket. Medical marijuana was legalized in Florida in 2016. The Health Professions & Programs Subcommittee has advanced the bill but has yet to reach the House floor. If passed, it would take effect July 1. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Free Florida medical marijuana cards for veterans? Proposed bill would waive fees
Thank you for your service. Veterans could get free medical marijuana cards from the state of Florida if a proposed bill gets through the legislature, Florida Politics reported Thursday. Veterans would still need to qualify for medical marijuana under state law and fees to be certified for a medical marijuana card by a licensed doctor would still remain, but the state's $75 fee would be waived. The bill would also require certifications every two years rather than annually. The bill doesn't technically exist yet, though. It's a proposal for a drastically slimmed-down version of HB 555 from Rep. Alex Andrade, R-Pensacola, which would have been a dramatic overhaul of Florida medical marijuana laws. The original bill would have expanded the list of eligible medical conditions, telehealth appointments for initial and renewal examinations, increased the amount of marijuana in a form for smoking a physician could issue, increased the time between physician evaluations from 30 weeks to 104 weeks, allowed visiting out-of-state medical marijuana patients to register in Florida and receive ID cards to use here and banned marijuana cultivating and processing centers from operating on the same parcel of land as a retail outlet. Extending the time between state certifications and waiving fees for honorably discharged veterans are the only changes remaining. A proposal to change the bill (PCS) has been added to the Health Professions & Programs Subcommittee agenda. A companion bill in the Senate, SB 552 from Sen. Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota, has not moved since it was introduced on March 4. However, few of the other marijuana bills in the Florida Legislature this year have gone very far. Under this bill, public employers would be prohibited from taking adverse personnel action against an employee or a job applicant for their use of medical marijuana if the employee or job applicant is a qualified patient. Exceptions are made for employees whose use is impairing their ability to do the job. STATUS: HB 83: Received first reading in the Government Operations Subcommittee March 4. SB142: Introduced March 4. Prohibits a court from denying or restricting certain parental rights based solely on a parent's status as a qualified patient for purposes of medical marijuana use and prohibits the presumption of neglect or child endangerment based solely on a parent's status as a qualified patient. STATUS: HB 993: received first reading in Civil Justice & Claims Subcommittee on March 4. SB 146: introduced March 4. Brought back again after attempts in previous years, this bill would prohibit all smoking in public places, aside from customs smoking rooms at airports. Smoking or vaping marijuana in public would be banned anywhere. Smoking unfiltered cigars in public would not be prohibited. Coincidentally, Florida has a long history of cigar manufacturing and the cigar lobby has powerful allies in Tallahassee, according to the Tallahassee Democrat. STATUS: Introduced March 4 Amends the state's edible marijuana labeling laws to require certain labeling of products and requiring receptacles to include more information including nutrition facts and allergens. STATUS: Introduced March 4 This bill would allow qualified medical marijuana patients to apply to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for a certificate to cultivate up to two cannabis plants for personal consumption. Restrictions would apply: No more than two plants would be allowed at any residence, no matter how many qualified patients lived there. Replaces a previous bill, SB 334, that also addressed hemp extract sales but was withdrawn before it was introduced. STATUS: Introduced March 4 Adds addiction to or dependence on an opioid drug to the list of qualifying conditions for medical marijuana. STATUS: Introduced March 4 This bill calls for the state to create a system allowing people arrested, charged or convicted of possessing 2 ounces or less of cannabis or marijuana paraphernalia to request to have that criminal history record expunged. STATUS: Introduced March 4 The majority of Florida voters approved a recreational marijuana amendment last year but it failed by not reaching the required minimum of 60%. This bill would allow adults 21 and older to buy, possess and use marijuana delivery device and up to 2 ounces of marijuana for personal use, or no more than 5 grams of marijuana in the form of concentrate. It would still need to be bought from licensed marijuana dispensaries. STATUS: Introduced March 4 A similar bill, SB 1390, introduced March 10, would allow personal use of up to 2.5 ounces for smoking or products that contain up to 2,000 mg of THC. Both bills include detailed regulations on medical marijuana dispensaries, licensing, name tags, delivery and more. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida medical marijuana cards could become free for veterans
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Is marijuana legal in Florida? No, but federal loophole offers an alternative.
After Florida's Amendment 3 meant to legalize marijuana and enshrine it in the state constitution failed to pass, those hoping for legalization are looking toward the midterm elections for a second chance. But in the meantime, is there any marijuana legal in Florida? Yes, and no. There are medical avenues and some loopholes companies are using to sell marijuana in Florida. Here's what to know. Recreational use of marijuana is currently illegal in the state of Florida. During the 2024 General Election, Amendment 3 failed to garner 60% of the vote to legalize recreational use of marijuana. However, Florida does allow the use of medical marijuana for residents diagnosed with specific conditions and have applied and received a Medical Marijuana ID Card. Florida Rep. Alex Andrade sponsored HB 555 earlier in February, a bill that would allow anyone with a medical marijuana card to grow up to two cannabis plants in their home for personal use. The proposed bill would also extend medical marijuana card renewals to every two years. Although recreationally illegal, there are loopholes used in 2018 federal legislation to sell marijuana-like products that are federally allowed, such as delta-8 THC. Delta-8 products typically have milder psychoactive effects than delta-9 THC, the cannabinoid that gives 'real' marijuana its high. Marijuana and hemp are both types of cannabis sativa plants. The kind of weed that you buy in dispensaries comes from marijuana plants, whereas CBD and delta-8 THC both come from hemp plants. It is psychoactive, meaning it can get you "high," though many users describe it as a sort of "diet weed" with weaker effects than delta-9 THC, the intoxicating component found in marijuana. Much of delta-8 is not sourced directly from the plant. Since the compound only occurs naturally in trace amounts, most delta-8 products are refined from cannabidiol, or CBD, which is much more plentiful in hemp. These synthetic products have alarmed some legislators and medical professionals, who worry that an unregulated refinement process might result in dangerous chemicals finding their way into consumer products. This led Florida legislators to passing SB 1698 in 2024, which bans delta-8 products statewide. However, Gov. Ron DeSantis later vetoed the bill. Not being allowed to sell and consume marijuana recreationally hasn't stopped smoke shops, vape shops and even some gas stations from selling "diet weed" gummies or joints throughout the state, but how is that possible? A loophole in the 2018 Farm Bill, which allowed the sale of hemp that has low levels of delta-9 THC, apparently federally allows the sale of hemp-based products that do not exceed a certain threshold of THC concentration. According to the Florida Department of Agriculture, hemp cannot exceed 0.3% THC on a dry weight basis. Delta-8 THC is unregulated by the FDA, though. Which means that any delta-8 THC products that you buy are not federally supervised or regulated in any way and could spark health issues, according to an FDA warning. If you do not have a Medical Marijuana Card or Medical Marijuana Caregiver Card, there are penalties you could face if caught with marijuana. Marijuana advocacy group NORML lists the following penalties if caught under Florida Statutes: Possessing 20 grams or less: first-degree misdemeanor, up to one year in jail and maximum $1,000 fine. Possession of paraphernalia: Misdemeanor, up to one year in jail and maximum $1,000 fine. Possessing marijuana within 1,000 feet of a school, college, park or other specified areas: Felony, mandatory three-year sentence and maximum $10,000 fine. Possessing from 20 grams: to 25 pounds: Felony, up to five years in jail and maximum $5,000 fine. Possessing from 25 to 2,000 pounds of marijuana: First-degree felony, from three to 15 years in jail and $25,000 fine. Possessing from 2,000 to 10,000 pounds of marijuana: First-degree felony, from seven to 30 years and $50,000 fine. Possessing more than 10,000 pounds of marijuana: First-degree felony, from 15 to 30 years and $200,000 fine. Some communities and municipalities have decriminalized possession of up to 20 grams of marijuana, including Alachua County, Broward County, Cocoa Beach, Hallandale Beach, Key West, Miami Beach, Miami-Dade County, Orlando, Osceola County, Palm Beach County, Port Richey, Sarasota, Tampa and Volusia County. Looking ahead to the 2026 midterm elections, Smart & Safe Florida is gathering signatures from Florida residents to put a new amendment on the ballot to legalize recreational marijuana. The company's new ballot summary only slightly differs from the original that appeared before voters in 2024 but does address some of the criticisms DeSantis had during the last election cycle. The full summary says: "Allows adults 21 and older to possess, purchase, or use marijuana for non-medical consumption. Establishes possession limits. Prohibits marketing and packaging attractive to children. Prohibits smoking and vaping in public. Maintains prohibition on driving under influence. Applies to Florida law; does not change, or immunize violations of, federal law. Allows Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers to acquire, cultivate, process, transport, and sell marijuana to adults. Provides for creation of licenses for non-medical marijuana businesses." Some of the largest changes includes an explicit statement of prohibiting smoking or vaping marijuana in public places as well as decreasing the proposed carry limit of 3 ounces to 2 ounces. Contributors: Lianna Norman of Palm Beach Post, Anna Kaufman of USA TODAY, C.A. Bridges of USA TODAY. This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Is weed legal in Florida? Medical marijuana, delta-8 what to know
