Back in 2016, 72% of Floridians passed Constitutional Amendment 2, which legalized medical marijuana for patients living with debilitating and terminal diseases provided they obtained approval from a licensed state physician.
During the campaign and since taking office, Governor Ron DeSantis and his administration have indicated that he intends to adopt a different posture to the implementation of the new law than did ex-Governor Rick Scott. For starters, DeSantis is abandoning an appeal of a court decision at the 1st District Court of Appeal initiated by former Governor Rick Scott that ruled that a ban on smoking medical marijuana violated the constitutional amendment.During a Monday press conference where he named Judge Robert J. Luck to the Florida Supreme Court, DeSantis said his administration’s medical-marijuana policy will deal not only with “the litigation” but also with the “legislation that I think is needed to implement the people’s will.”
“I think he (Governor DeSantis) has a different perspective than Gov. Scott. I think he wants the will of the voters to be implemented.” – Lt. Governor Jeanette Nuñez
Do you think the 2nd Amendment will be destroyed by the Biden Administration?(2)
DeSantis clearly believes that the state has not properly implemented the 2006 Constitutional Amendment. Many state legislators who are opposed to smokable cannabis worry that allowing that consumption method will effectively bring the state closer to a Colorado-style legalized recreational marijuana regime. Under current law, patients can only purchase cannabis pills, topicals, tinctures, and oils from state licensed vendors.
How exactly DeSantis will the implement the law remains to be seen- we agree with the Governor that some liberalization of the law is needed with regard to those who are truly suffering and in pain, but we’re also hopeful that new law will not easily be exploited by hypchondriacs and others who will seek out doctors that quickly grant them a prescription for each and every instance of “pain” they claim.