New Florida Medical Marijuana Legislation to Take Effect Jan. 3

Here’s what we can expect and how we can benefit from passage of Amendment 2

On Nov. 8, 2016, the Florida Medical Marijuana Legalization Initiative (Amendment 2) was passed with an overwhelming 71.32% voter approval. Amendment 2 will legalize medical marijuana for individuals with specific debilitating diseases or comparable debilitating conditions that will be determined by a licensed state physician.

This new law will not go into effect overnight. In fact, it could take more than eight (8) months after the election date to get it into motion.

According to Florida law, approved amendments must become effective on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January following the election , to wit: January 3, 2017.

Now that it is time to put Amendment 2 into action, it is the Florida Department of Health’s duty to set guidelines for the issuance of Identification Cards, qualifications and standards of care for care givers and registration of medical marijuana treatment centers within six months (6) of the date it went into effect.

Who Can Now Use Medical Marijuana As Treatment?

Patients with:

• Cancer
• Epilepsy
• Glaucoma
• HIV
• AIDS
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
• Crohn’s disease
• Parkinson’s disease
• Multiple sclerosis

How will the legalization of medical marijuana affect us?

In addition to symptom relief of multiple diseases and conditions, less side effects than many prescription drugs and lower dependency rate, this law will put medical decisions for marijuana use in the hands of patients and their doctors while at the same time giving the economy a healthy boost.

How other states have been effected by Medical Marijuana

In 2015, Americans spent $5.4 billion on legal medical and recreational marijuana. Colorado, a state that previously legalized the use of recreational marijuana, is projected to make $140 million in tax revenue by the end of 2016. Washington will make an estimated $270 million. The tax dollars generated in Colorado, Washington and Oregon are being used to build schools and fund drug abuse prevention programs as well as law enforcement.

With the passage of Amendment 2, experts project that Florida will make an estimated one billion dollars in medical marijuana sales over the next three years. Being that Florida holds the largest percentage of people 65 and over, a demographic that often suffers chronic pain and catastrophic illnesses, this could be a viable medical solution.

Not only will there be a growth in the medical marijuana industry, but patients will hopefully get the relief and healing they have been waiting for as they suffer from such encumbering diseases and conditions.

Full-strength medical marijuana should be available to all newly qualified patients by July 1, 2017.

*Disclaimer – This is in no way to be considered legal advice. An attorney client relationship does not exist from your reading of this blog or your following any of the suggested courses of action above.