Florida Enacts Two Laws Imposing New Restrictions on Cannabis
How legal is cannabis in Florida? Increasingly, it depends when you ask. Cannabis is a hot topic for legislation at the state and local levels. In just a decade, cannabis has gone from being completely illegal in every state to our current confusing, but noticeably 420 friendlier, state of affairs. Some states have given cannabis a similar legal status to alcohol, where, as long as you are at least 21 years old, you can legally purchase and consume it. In others, medical marijuana programs treat cannabis not quite as a prescription drug but more like one of those strong concoctions that doctors would ask you to buy at the pharmacy in the 19th century. Then there is the question of, “When is weed not weed?” Some states have laws where marijuana is illegal, but hemp is legal, and drawing a clear boundary between hemp and marijuana is more challenging than it seems. As of July 2023, Florida has not decriminalized recreational use of cannabis at the state level, although some local jurisdictions, including Orlando, have decriminalized possession of small amounts of cannabis. Florida also has a medical cannabis program. This year, two new statewide restrictions went into effect regarding the sale and use of certain cannabis products. If you are facing legal trouble because of Florida’s frequently changing cannabis laws, contact a Florida drug offenses attorney.
SB 1676 Limiting the Sale of Smokeless Hemp
SB 1676 sets a new age limit on the sale of smokeless hemp products, including snuff and cannabis chewing gum, among other products. Pursuant to the new law, you must be at least 21 years old to purchase smokeless hemp products. Under the old law, the age restrictions applied only to smokable products.
SB 210 Criminalizing Medical Cannabis at Sober Living Facilities
Until SB 210 went into effect, if you had a medical cannabis card, it was legal for you to buy cannabis from licensed dispensaries. Medical cannabis helped people cope with chronic pain; some of these patients had previously been dependent on prescription opioids to manage their pain, and some of them had been to inpatient rehab clinics and sober living houses on their path to recovery from opioid addiction. The new law places an obstacle before patients trying to break their dependence on opioids.
Pursuant to SB 210, it is against the law to possess cannabis in a sober living house, even if you have a medical cannabis card. The operators of sober living facilities must update their policies so that they explicitly forbid cannabis. Meanwhile, it is legal for patients to possess any non-cannabis medications prescribed to them by physicians, including controlled substances. In other words, there is a chance that your roommate in the sober house will have Adderall, oxycodone, or whatever landed you in rehab in the first place, but not weed.
Contact FL Drug Defense Group About Criminal Cases Related to Cannabis
A Central Florida criminal defense lawyer can help you if you are being charged with cannabis crimes. Contact FL Drug Defense Group in Orlando, Florida to discuss your case.
Sources:
marijuanamoment.net/desantis-signs-bill-prohibiting-medical-marijuana-at-florida-recovery-residences-even-if-recommended-by-doctor/
weedmaps.com/learn/laws-and-regulations/florida
