FLORIDA LAW

On June 16, 2014, Florida Governor Rick Scott signed the Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act of 2014. This law made Florida the 22nd state to legalize access to medical marijuana by giving patients suffering from cancer, epilepsy, seizures, and muscle spasms access to low-THC cannabis products.

This law was expanded on Nov 8, 2016 when Florida voters approved the Florida Medical Marijuana Legalization Initiative, also known as Amendment 2. Amendment 2 states that patients in Florida suffering from a ‘debilitating medical condition’ may access medical marijuana if approved by a state certified physician. Florida defines a ‘debilitating medical condition’ to be any one of the following:

• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
• Cancer
• Chronic Pain
• Crohn’s Disease
• Epilepsy
• Glaucoma
• HIV/AIDS
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Parkinson’s Disease
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Terminal Illness
• or any other ailment/condition of the same type/class as or comparable to those enumerated, as determined by a physicians opinion that the medical use of marijuana would surpass any potential, and unlikely, health risks.

Amendment 2 also allows medical marijuana patients to appoint a caregiver to cultivate their cannabis and enlists the Department of Health with registering and issuing state-registered medical marijuana identification cards to patients and caregivers who qualify.

In addition, the Florida Medical Marijuana Legalization Initiative also protects physicians, stating that physicians will not be subject to criminal or civil liability under Florida law for issuing a medical marijuana certification to a patient with a qualifying condition.