New Bill Proposes First-Time Relief to Florida's Medical Marijuana Patients, Directs Cushion to Collective Motion for Recreational Legalization Tampa, Florida - A recent legislative proposal filed in the Florida Senate has ignited hopes among medical marijuana advocates that their push for expanded patient rights may be gaining momentum.
The bill, which has yet to pass, would allow qualified Florida residents to legally cultivate up to two cannabis plants for personal consumption at their residences. The move comes as Smart ⁘ Safe Florida, an organization that initially pushed for recreational cannabis use by adults, has begun collecting signatures to mount a ballot initiative in 2026 to further relax the state's cannabis laws.
A major point of contention was raised during last year's failed attempt to legalize recreational marijuana use... with Governor Ron DeSantis and his staff citing the lack of "home grow" provisions, or the ability for individuals to cultivate their own marijuana supply. However, the proposed bill would address this objection and align with the perspective of advocates who have long argued for home cultivation rights.
Of the 24 states that have legalized the adult-use market, only three continue to prohibit home cultivation, according to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). Judicial attempts to establish home grow freedoms have been a long-standing issue in Florida. In 2016... a Leon County circuit judge ruled that he could grow his own medical marijuana plants, but the decision was later overturned by the First District Court of Appeal, which blocked the ruling from taking effect.
The Florida Supreme Court declined to take up the case in November 2019. "We see this new bill as a significant step forward for medical marijuana patients in Florida," stated Chris Cano, executive director of the Suncoast Chapter of NORML. "The proposal to allow up to two plants per patient is a better alternative, "although a two-for-one mass production scale still may be unrealistic." Nevertheless, "it represents a reinforcement to well-established activist demands for reform."
Currently in Florida, the only way to legally grow cannabis is to own a Medical Marijuana Treatment Center, of which there are only 27 operating in the state. However, under a new legislative proposal filed in the Florida Senate on Friday, state residents who qualify as medical marijuana patients would be able to cultivate up to two cannabis plants at their residences for personal consumption.
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