Florida House Speaker Jose Oliva Says New Bill 'Will Allow Smokable Marijuana For Adults'
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – The Florida House will pass a bill allowing a smokable form of medical marijuana, although it will be restricted to adults, according to Speaker Jose Oliva.
"The House bill will allow smokable marijuana for adults," Oliva said. "The House will not support the smoking of marijuana for children."
Voters overwhelmingly passed a constitutional amendment allowing medical marijuana in 2016, but then-Governor Rick Scott blocked a smokable form of the drug saying it was not explicitly included in the wording of the Amendment.
Supporters of the Amendment sued the state and Governor Ron DeSantis said he would give the Legislature until March 15 to come up with a smokable alternative or he would enact it on his own.
Personally, Oliva said he opposes a smokable medical marijuana.
"There's no medicine that we know of, that is smokable," he said. "Controlling the dosage of medicine in smokable form is not something that can be done. So there's a challenge between what I think we have to pass because there's an amendment in place and what I would like to see. I don't I don't get to decide on the question that I wish was before me, I have to decide on the question that is."
As a result, he said, "the House will pass a bill that incorporates smokeable marijuana."
WEB EXTRA: Florida House Speaker Jose Oliva Speaks On Medical Marijuana
Asked if the House bill would create roadblocks that would make it more difficult, by either requiring more than one doctor to prescribe marijuana or even have prescriptions reviewed by a panel, Oliva aid the bill would not have those types of restrictions.
"I think what you will see is a bill that no that does not require multiple doctors or has people come before a panel," he said, adding such a move "increases costs and reduces access."
But he does believe the state has the right to block juveniles from smoking marijuana, saying it could have an adverse effect.
"Part of our bill will be an extensive study at the University of Florida hopefully in conjunction with the other universities to fully understand what are the effects of smoking marijuana," he said.
