Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed a bill that prevents residents of health care facilities from using medical cannabis. This prohibition applies even if the cannabis was prescribed by a doctor.
The move follows DeSantis’ admission last week that he would not federally decriminalize cannabis if he won the 2024 presidential election. It was possible that it contained fentanyl and that people “could die just from ingesting it”, despite testing of cannabis products in regulated markets.
The bill DeSantis signed last week – SB 210 – dealing with addiction services, will require anyone seeking a license to establish a recovery center to prove that it does not authorize the use of medically prescribed or adult-use cannabis.
Additionally, DeSantis also vetoed the passage of a criminal justice reform bill — House Bill 605 — that would have changed state law regarding expunging criminal records, despite the announcement. of Biden regarding expunging cannabis-related criminal records.
The governor separately signed another law this month that allows doctors to renew medical cannabis recommendations to patients through telehealth and also takes steps to promote the participation of black farmers in the medical cannabis program of the state.
At the same time, a petition launched in Florida – where adult use is still illegal – in favor of legalizing the adult use of cannabis has collected enough signatures to be put to the vote.
