United States: Florida governor approves medical cannabis project

This Friday, June 23, 2017, Rick Scott, Governor of the State of Florida, officially signed the medical cannabis bill into law. L’Amendment 2, was approved on November 8 with 71% of the vote. This decision officially implements the medical cannabis amendments. Florida is also the first southern state to adopt a medical cannabis program. It extended the conditions and rules governing the use of medical cannabis particularly for terminally ill cancer and epilepsy patients. This measure was covered by the Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act of 2014.

Rick Scott demanded that the laws be in place by July 3. He also stressed that the constitutional amendment «passed overwhelmingly» and that this law made sense for the state of Florida. An essential measure, as Florida is the retirement home of the United States, with 84 % of seniors happy to live there.

Ben Pollara, Executive Director of Florida for Care, a medical cannabis access research and expert company, said, «This is a good day for sick and suffering Floridians. The signing of this law provides a framework for the future of our state's medical cannabis system and, while far from perfect, will begin to provide safe access for patients.».

The law also allows access to medical cannabis for people with HIV and AIDS, glaucoma, post-traumatic stress disorder, Crohn's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis and similar symptoms. The law also calls for the establishment of 10 cannabis treatment centers by October 3, 2017, in addition to the seven already in existence.

Products will be sold in cannabis oil, sprays, vaporizers and edibles. Patients will receive a prescription for medicinal cannabis from their GP for 70 days before being re-examined.

In Florida, recreational cannabis use is still illegal. John Morgan, an attorney who has been heavily involved in efforts to legalize medical cannabis, said he would have to file a case on recreational cannabis in the Leon County district headquartered in Tallahassee, Florida's capital.

Mehdi Bautier