Today, I am proud to announce I filed HB679 which will be the first major bipartisan update to our state’s marijuana statutes since the passage of the medical marijuana amendment over five years ago.

Along with my prime co-sponsor, Rep. Spencer Roach (R) out of Fort Myers, I have spent the summer negotiating with House and Senate leadership, various industry stakeholders, and activists to formulate a compromise piece of legislation that moves us forward. It makes our state’s medical marijuana program safer while also protecting the doctor-patient relationship and making access to medicine cheaper and simpler.

Under our bill:

• New restrictions on Delta-8 and other synthetic marijuana products that exploit loopholes in the law to sell mind-altering and untested products to children totally unregulated.

• Two-year medical marijuana license cards and 8-month doctor appointments will cut the costs of participation in the medical marijuana program by over 60%.

• Telehealth recertification of medical marijuana doctor visits which helps make participation in the program cheaper, simpler, and more convenient for our patients.

• Restrictions on marijuana doctor advertising towards children and in online spaces.

• End the practice for Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers to “flip” their licenses for monetary gain without having to ever sell actual products which reduce options for Florida patients.

• New testing regimes that keep products safe, increase transparency and start creating recommendations on effective DUI roadside testing to keep our streets safe.

It’s not everything I want, but it’s a HUGE step forward and promises the first meaningful improvement to the program in years.

Click here to send an e-mail to House Leadership urging them to hear our bill, place it on the agenda, and help Florida’s patients access their medicine more safely and with less government interference.

Let's get to work!