State Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, on Wednesday proposed new rules for medical marijuana in Florida, putting forward an idea that would compete with legislation already filed by another Senate Republican.
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Brandes’ proposal (SB 614) completely upends the small medical cannabis program already functioning in the state in favor of more competition. His bill would allow businesses to be licensed as growers, distributors or processers who make pills and oils that can be sold to patients.
It would do away with existing caps in state law that allow just seven companies to be in the marijuana business and require them all to grow, process and sell their own products. A competing proposal (SB 406) filed by Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, largely keeps that styem intact but allows additional licenses to be granted when the number of patients grows.
“The overwhelming support of Amendment 2 was a strong mandate that Floridians demand fundamental change to the way we regulate medical marijuana,” Brandes said in a statement. “The laws on the books today promote a state-sanctioned cartel system that limits competition, inhibits access, and results in higher prices for patients. This legislation outright repeals Florida’s defective law.”
Some advocates say that the state should open up the market to encourage more diversity of products, low cost and innovation.
However, the companies already licensed say they have the collective capacity to serve hundreds of thousands of patients without having to wait for a Supertotobet new market to start up.
Senate President Joe Negron said Tuesday that both bills would be considered.
"We’re going to have a number of different approaches in the Senate," he said. "My intention is that those bills will move forward."
The House still has not put forward its proposal to implement Amendment 2, which expanded medical marijuana access to new patients and was approved by more than 70 percent of voters last November.
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