Back in 2016, the people of Florida overwhelmingly voted in favor of a constitutional amendment to allow medical marijuana, yet those efforts were derailed when a year later the former governor signed a law that banned marijuana smoking in all forms.
That ban was overturned earlier this week when the newly appointed governor, Ron DeSantis, signed legislation to repeal it, following his mandate back in January to have medical marijuana legalized by March 15th.
"Over 70 percent of Florida voters approved medical marijuana in 2016," DeSantis said in a statement. "I thank my colleagues in the Legislature for working with me to ensure the will of the voters is upheld. Now that we have honored our duty to find a legislative solution, I have honored my commitment and filed a joint motion to dismiss the state's appeal and to vacate the lower court decision which had held the prior law to be unconstitutional."
The new law allows patients to receive 2.5 ounces of whole flower cannabis every 35 days, while patients under the age of 18 can smoke medical marijuana if they have a terminal condition and get a second opinion from a pediatrician.
Meanwhile, the legalization of recreational marijuana in Florida will likely be on the ballot in upcoming elections, where it's been assumed that it will likely pass over the next few years. It should be noted that ten US states and the District of Columbia already allow recreational sales of marijuana, while 34 states have authorized medical marijuana use.
Source: CNN
