Florida Medical Marijuana Card Legislation
Florida’s medical marijuana legislation started in 2014 with the passing of the Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act which allowed seriously ill patients to use cannabis with low-THC. Seriously ill patients of medical marijuana cards in Florida consist of those patients who have cancer or epilepsy. To manage Florida’s medical marijuana program the Florida Department of Health created the Office of Compassionate Use (OCU).
In 2015, Gov. Rick Scott signed the Florida Right to Try Act which allowed physicians of seriously ill patients be leverage experimental medicines or treatments not approved by the FDA. During March of 2016, medical marijuana low-THC was added to list of experiment medicines per HB 307.
On Nov. 8, 2016 Florida voters passed the Florida Medical Marijuana Legalization Initiative, also known as Amendment 2. Amendment 2 allowed for an expanded list of qualifying conditions to obtain a medical marijuana card in Florida. This Amendment also altered the OCU into the Office of Medical Marijuana Use (OMMU) and created the Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers (MMTC) of Florida.
Florida Medical Marijuana Card, Cultivation & Possession Laws
Florida allows for low-THC medical marijuana or cannabis. To define low-THC, the flower material, resin, seeds, and other products derived from the marijuana plant must contain 0.8% THC or less. An individual patient or caregiver may not possess more than a 70-day supply of medical marijuana in Florida at any time, while all purchased marijuana must remain in its original packing material. When purchasing at one time, patients and caregivers are limited to 2.5 ounces and my not possess more than 4 ounces. Additionally, Florida does not allow medical marijuana to be transferred for any reason other than by a caregiver who may be buying or transporting marijuana for an individual patient. Cultivation of marijuana in Florida is illegal for patients and caregivers.
Get started with your Florida Medical Marijuana Card today!