Pubdate: Tue, 21 Apr 2015
Source: Tampa Tribune (FL)
Copyright: 2015 The Tribune Co.
Contact: http://tbo.com/list/news-opinion-letters/submit/
Website: http://tbo.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/446
Author: Cerise Naylor
Page: A6
Related: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v15/n199/a04.html

STATE'S MEDICAL POT LAW TAKES A HIT

Since June 2014 medical marijuana has been legal in Florida thanks to
the Florida Legislature's passage of Senate Bill 1030 that year.
Unfortunately, Florida patients still wait for the law to become a
reality in their medical treatment due to continuing delays in
implementation of the statute.

Floridians suffering from debilitating conditions such as cancer,
epilepsy, ALS, MS and Parkinson's are left wondering what, if any,
relief will come to them via Tallahassee this year. SB 1030 has been
faced with setback after setback, and Florida's frustrated patients
deserve answers.

So where are we and just how far away is that from where we need to
be?

After the state Department of Health rewrote the proposed rule in
January - a rule that enjoyed wide approval from patients, industry
professionals and legislators alike - it received three new
administrative challenges, which brought weeks of progress to a
grinding halt.

In an effort to fast-track the implementation of SB 1030 and make good
on the promise made to Florida's most vulnerable, the Legislature put
forward a handful of bills that would expand the language of the
existing statute.

These have received little attention to date. Recently, the Senate
introduced a new bill, SB 7066, which makes several important changes
to SB 1030 and provides an almost immediate implementation mechanism
for the cannabis law.

This latter effort was provided to prevent the continuing superfluous
lawsuits based on individual self-interest. The bill intends to make
certain the cannabis industry is regulated within the limits and
spirit of the new and old law and stresses patient safety and
affordability.

If it weren't for the current administrative law challenges, the DOH
would have been in a position to open up bids for licenses in early
April and the Legislature would not have been placed in the precarious
position of having to intervene with this necessary fix.

If the administrative law judge decides these challenges hold no legal
ground or the challengers themselves do not have legal standing - that
is, 'skin in the game' - we could see the implementation of low-THC
cannabis by mid-May.

Should this occur, one can count on many of the current bills in the
Legislature to be all but abandoned.

But, should the remaining two challenges hold up in court, the fate of
Florida's medical marijuana will remain in the hands of the 2015
Legislature and finally, the governor.

Let us hope that reason and compassion prevail. Cerise Naylor is
executive director of the Florida Medical Cannabis Association.
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MAP posted-by: Matt