Florida Lawmaker Withdraws Medical Marijuana Homegrow Bill To Remove Hemp Restriction Provisions
Shortly after a Florida Republican on Monday launched a medical marijuana homegrow invoice that additionally sought to ban a variety of hemp-derived cannabinoids, the lawmaker withdrew the laws from consideration. He now says he’ll reintroduce the measure with out the hemp-related restrictions.
SB 334, from Sen. Joe Gruters (R), would have allowed state-registered medical marijuana sufferers to domesticate as much as two vegetation at house, offered the vegetation have been grown in a locked space not seen from a public place or different non-public property.
It additionally would have banned a variety of hemp-derived cannabinoids, together with delta-8 THC, delta-10 THC, tetrahydrocannabinol acetate (THCA), tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV), tetrahydrocannabiphorol (THCP) and hexahydrocannabinol (HHC).
As launched, it additionally would have capped delta-9 THC—the chief psychoactive part in marijuana—at 2 milligrams per serving and 20 mg per bundle.
Gruters stated after withdrawing the invoice that he plans to reintroduce a medical homegrow invoice with out the hemp provisions. Requested by Politico when he supposed to file the revised laws, the lawmaker replied: “As quickly because it’s prepared.”
It’s unclear whether or not the forthcoming measure will embrace different particulars in SB 334, akin to a provision clarifying {that a} product’s delta-9 THC content material can be decided by means of a mix of delta-9 itself and THCA, which converts into delta-9 THC when heated.
Gruters, a former chair of the Florida Republican Get together, was a proponent of the backed legalization measure Modification 3 final November—which might not have legalized house cultivation—showing in an advert alongside Sen. Shevrin Jones (D) to argue that the reform can be “good for Florida” regardless of sturdy pushback from Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).
Gruters and Kim Rivers—the CEO of Trulieve, a medical marijuana firm that offered the majority of funding for Modification 3—additionally met with Trump forward of his endorsement of the constitutional modification, in addition to federal rescheduling and trade banking entry.
Some critics of Modification 3 had complained about its lack of a house cultivation allowance, which they stated would drive customers to make purchases from a small variety of licensed retailers.
A marketing campaign mailer from the state Republican Get together, as an example, referred to as the marketing campaign “an influence seize by mega marijuana companies, eliminating their competitors and enshrining their monopoly benefit within the Structure endlessly.”
DeSantis, in the meantime, repeatedly complained that legalizing marijuana within the state would result in a rash of public consumption, inflicting the state to scent of hashish. Gruters downplayed that concern but additionally launched a invoice to make sure that smoking in public would stay unlawful.
As for hemp-derived cannabinoids, final yr DeSantis vetoed a invoice that may have banned intoxicating hemp merchandise, which was broadly seen as an effort to enlist the hemp trade in opposing Modification 3.
In the meantime in Florida, the marketing campaign behind Modification 3 not too long ago filed a revised model in hopes of getting a second shot in 2026.
Simply months after a Florida marijuana legalization initiative failed on the poll, the marketing campaign behind the proposal has filed a revised model in hopes of getting a second shot in 2026.
Sensible & Protected Florida’s 2024 measure did obtain a majority of the vote in November, but it surely fell wanting a steep 60 % threshold to cross constitutional amendments underneath state regulation.
Individually, lawmakers in Florida this session have additionally launched payments that would shield medical marijuana sufferers from discrimination in authorities jobs and stop state courts from proscribing sure parental rights based mostly solely on an individual’s standing as a certified hashish affected person.
Picture courtesy of Mike Latimer.
