This session found FLCAN and our allies following 38 pieces of proposed legislation. As the session marches towards the end, here is where we are at:

Legalization is still not on the agenda. While we had a number of bills to legalize cannabis introduced this year, the leadership in the House is a firm “no” on legislation. In order to break this cycle, we are going to have to change the mind of Rep Chris Sprowls or support a candidate who can defeat him in the 2020. Speaker Designate Chris Sprowls and Speaker Oliva need to show their support for cannabis or we need to make life very challenging for them

The smoking ban was lifted. This was a victory for patients but the legislation is a problem for doctors. Read more about it here.

Hemp is still moving. The House bill HB 333 and the Senate version SB 1020 are very different. The Senate version is through the committee process ad waiting to be debated on the Senate Floor. The House bill has been heard in two committees and is stalled in State Affairs. We’ll know later this week which version will mirror the final bill.

When President Trump signed the 2018 Farm Bill, hemp products were removed from the Controlled Substance and the legislation created a path for states creating their own hemp programs. Florida law makes all parts of the cannabis plant illegal except for our medical program and our hemp research. Products made from hemp, particularly CBD preparations are in a legally grey area. Should Florida lawmakers fail to act this session this issue is ripe for the courts. Many Florida businesses are in jeopardy of having inventory seized or even facing arrest until this issue is resolved.

The restrictions on minors is happening. The House slid HB 7117 and HB 7119 in as committee bills. HB 7117 is headed to the House Floor for debate. This bill not only caps the THC on flower to 10%, it also eliminates access to THC products for anyone under 18 who isn’t terminally ill. Maybe even more outrageous, every patients must now be counseled on the harms associated with cannabis use for people under 18.

Moms from our allies at Buds 4 Vets have come out to speak against the ban on THC for those under 18. Parents of pediatric patients are at a disadvantage already due to the costs associated with being a patient and caregiver, the two doctor requirement and market prices.

HB 7119 was a tobacco bill until it was amended to include a ban on minors under the age of 21 being recommended “smokable” cannabis. Safe, Legal, and Accessible. These restrictions on the cannabis products a minor can use clearly violates the rights given them by the constitutional amendment.

Florida CAN begins and ends the conversation with the need to fundamentally end cannabis prohibition. We promote the most liberal of access and the most sweeping legalization petitions, get it here.

Legal cannabis means –

• Over the counter products
• Fewer roadblocks to therapeutic research
• More economic opportunities
• Increased safety for consumers
• Saving on enforcement and incarceration costs.

We are not done yet, if you agree that fighting for our right to cannabis is a job worth doing, please make a donation to FLCAN right now.