Scott signs medical marijuana bill

TALLAHASSEE — Florida patients with certain debilitating diseases will have access to medicalmarijuanaundera bill signed into lawby Gov. Rick Scott on Friday.

The legislation formalizes an amendment to the state constitution approved by 71 percent of voters last fall that legalized medical marijuana, and sets up regulations for the new industry.

Scott, who voted against the amendment, did not issue a statement upon signing the bill. He had earlier stated he would sign the bill.

Patients with cancer, epilepsy, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, post-traumatic stress disorder, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease or other debilitating conditions are eligible to be prescribed cannabis products by a doctor.

Doctors, though, must go through two hours of training to be certified by the state before being authorized to issue prescriptions. And the state will set up a registry of eligible patients, which doctors must check before prescribing.

Thelawcaps licenses to growmarijuana at 17, and each license holder is allowed up to 25 dispensaries. With each additional 100,000 new eligible patients added to the registry, another license will become available.

Advocates who pushed for the medical marijuana amendment approved by voters say the new law falls short of the amendment’s intentions, putting in place overly restrictive regulations. For instance, the lawbans smoking of the drug, although it allows for vaping, and for cannabis to be sold in the form of oils and edibles.

Orlando trial attorney John Morgan, who bankrolled the effort to put the amendment on the ballot and get it approved, has vowed to file a lawsuit over the no-smoking provision.

The marijuana measurewas one of 38 bills Scott signed Friday.

Among the others was a bill that would help wireless telecommunications companies deal with local government regulations.

Themeasure (HB687) would limit the ability of local governments to regulate types of equipment known as “small wireless facilities” in public rights ofway.

Material from theNews Service of Florida was used in this report.