A bill that seeks to strengthen oversight of medical marijuana treatment centers (MMTCs) has cleared another hurdle, passing its second House subcommittee Thursday.
The House Health Care Budget Subcommittee unanimously approved the bill (HB 733) Thursday, sponsored by Rep. Anne Gerwig, R-Wellington. It calls for several requirements, including prohibiting such centers from operating within 500 feet of a park, child care facility or early learning service provider.
Additionally, it would require that physicians complete a two-hour course and subsequent examination offered by the Florida Medical Association or the Florida Osteopathic Medical Association to be approved to prescribe cannabis. They would need to renew that certification every two years.
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“The bill updates the definition of low-THC cannabis by removing the dried flower specification,” Gerwig said. “This ensures the definition applies to all forms of cannabis, with the exception of edibles. It also revises the potency requirement for CBD.”
Previously, low-THC was defined as a plant within the Cannabis genus whose dried flowers contain 0.8% or less of THC and more than 10% of CBD.
“The legislation closes a loophole that could otherwise allow an MMTC … to produce products that fall outside the definition of low-THC cannabis using flowers that initially meets that definition,” said Gerwig.
Other changes in the bill include making it easier for the Florida Department of Health to issue an emergency suspension of a health care practitioner’s license, when that person is arrested for crimes related to murder.
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It also adds credentialed early intervention service providers to the list of professionals eligible to earn the autism microcredential offered by the University of Florida’s Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment.
Those credentials offer specialized autism care training. Research shows that cannabis may offer relief for some conditions associated with the disorder.
“This bill strengthens regulatory clarity, it enhances public safety [and] improves access to critical health services across our state,” Gerwig says.
The bill has one more committee stop before it can be heard by the full House. A similar Senate bill has yet to be heard in committee.
