Florida has become the 23rd state (24th district if you include Washington, D.C.) to legalize medical marijuana!
Florida Governor Rick Scott signed Senate Bill 1030 into law this week, and he had lots of support behind him. The bill passed 111-7 in the House and 30-9 in the Senate, so clearly Florida’s legislators are all dope fiends. JK! LOLz!
While this is a HUGE step in the fight for the regulated use of medical cannabis, it’s only just a small step.
The bill only decriminalizes a medical professional’s recommendation for marijuana use and a patient’s medically authorized use of a specific strain of low-THC weed.
Basically, it really IS only for medicinal use… not for spicing up a crappy movie or making cereal taste INCREDIBLE.
Doctors can only “order” medical marijuana for patients who have a specific disease or a condition as outlined in the bill. These include Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, seizures, pediatric epilepsy, etc.
The bill only allows five specific companies to cultivate, process and dispense one specific strain and only in an oil form.
That’s right, the bill doesn’t allow for a smokable form of marijuana. Unlike other states where there are more strains of weed than there are Presidents born in Virginia. (Look it up.)
Though this is a step in the right direction, Florida still has a long way to go.