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DeSantis signs health department measure that includes medical-marijuana regulations

Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.
tharms5 (Flickr)
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The Florida Channel
Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.

The wide-ranging bill addresses issues involving licensing of businesses known as medical-marijuana “treatment centers.”

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday signed a bill dealing with a range of issues at the Florida Department of Health, including medical-marijuana regulation.

The House and Senate unanimously passed the bill (SB 768)in March.

The bill, for example, addresses issues involving licensing of medical-marijuana businesses known as medical-marijuana “treatment centers.”

The bill will prevent the department from renewing the licenses of centers that have not started to grow, process and sell medical marijuana by the time licenses come up for renewal. As another example, the bill will expand the authority of the department to collect and test samples of marijuana from the centers.

The department has been only able to collect samples of edibles, but the bill will allow obtaining samples of other marijuana products.

The measure also creates an exception to criminal laws to make clear that department employees can possess, test, transport and dispose of marijuana in the course of their jobs.