State Senator Jeff Brandes, a Republican from St. Pete and your new favorite Florida politician, filed a surprising (in a good way) bill Monday. Senate Bill 528 would make medical marijuana legal for patients suffering from certain conditions.
It comes nearly three months after voters barely rejected a state constitutional amendment that would have legalized medical marijuana. Brandes had opposed the amendment leading up to the November vote. Like most critics of the amendment, which 58 percent of voters approved, he said it was too broad.
Brandes' 28-page bill offers a narrower criteria under which the weed could be prescribed, and would allow physicians to prescribe medical marijuana to patients with cancer, HIV/AIDS, ALS, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and a few other conditions.
“It is critically important that we thoroughly vet any proposal related to medical cannabis, and I am confident that this legislation will be carefully reviewed through the legislative process,” said Senator Brandes in a written statement. “Many groups have been working on this initiative for quite some time and my goal is to work openly with all of the interested parties on this issue so that we can pass responsible legislation that provides relief to those Floridians in need.”
The bill would also allow medical marijuana to be prescribed if they have chronic pain, nausea, seizures or muscle spasms, or if they suffer from severe and persistent pain or suffer from wasting syndrome.
It also requires a county commission to sign off on allowing retail outfits to sell medical marijuana in a given county. Retail outlets would have to pay $10,000 to obtain a license to sell it.
Even though there has yet to be a cosponsor in the State House of Representatives, supporters of medical marijuana are naturally pretty stoked.
“We are very excited to see Sen. Brandes file this important piece of legislation. Sen. Brandes has taken a courageous step in service of making the voice of Floridians heard on this issue,” said Ben Pollara, Executive Director of Florida for Care, in a written statement.
Even those groups that don't advocate for medical marijuana outright, instead focusing on specific health problems that would be affected, were happy about the bill.
"Our compassion is why we trust and defend the decisions doctors and patients make together to ease pain and suffering,'' said Epilepsy Foundation Chief Executive Officer Karen Basha Egozi in a News Service of Florida report. "As the largest organization in Florida supporting those living with epilepsy, we support anything that improves their lives."
Last year the legislature passed a bill making a low-THC strain, "Charlotte's Web," legal for medicinal consumption, and lawmakers are now trying to hammer out the details of how to regulate it.
This article appears in Jan 22-28, 2015.