The Florida House of Representatives has unanimously approved a bill that would exempt military veterans from state registration fees for medical marijuana cards, allowing them to obtain the certifications for free.
After moving through committee earlier this month, the full chamber passed the legislation from Rep. Alex Andrade (R) in a 110-0 vote on Friday.
As originally filed, the measure would have made more significant changes to the state’s existing medical cannabis program, for example allowing home cultivation as well as reciprocity for out-of-state patients. But the House Health Professions and Programs Subcommittee replaced its language with a two-page substitute that instead would make only small changes to the medical program.
First, it would change how often patients need to renew their medical marijuana cards, from the current annual process to once every two years.
Second, it would waive the $75 registration and renewal fees for veterans, specifying that the state “may not charge a fee for the issuance, replacement, or renewal of an identification card for a qualified patient who is a veteran.”
On the floor, Rep. Daryl Campbell (D) thanked the sponsor for introducing the reform measure, saying “our veterans need medical marijuana cards often at rates higher than the general population, and it’s great that you are helping to ease the financial burden for them on this bill.”
He added that the legislation “reduces the red tape, and it also ensures that people can spend more time benefiting from medical marijuana, instead of navigating complicated procedures to access this.”
If HB 555 becomes law, the changes would take effect July 1.
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The Senate this month also passed a bill that would restrict hemp-derived THC products, including popular THC-infused beverages.
Among other changes, that proposal would forbid any amount of synthetic cannabinoids, including delta-8 THC. The amount of delta-9 THC in hemp-derived products, meanwhile, couldn’t be more than five milligrams per serving or 50 milligrams per container.
Also in the Senate this month, the chamber passed a wide-ranging agricultural bill that contains provisions to outlaw fungal spores that produce mushrooms containing psilocybin or psilocin. The vote came a day after a House committee advanced a companion bill in that chamber.
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