A bill aimed at capping the amount of THC in medical marijuana cleared its first committee stop in the Florida House of Representatives on Tuesday.
The Professions & Public Health Subcommittee passed the bill, HB 1455, allowing it to move forward in the Florida House.
The bill states that qualified physicians may not prescribe medical marijuana containing more than 10 percent THC to patients. THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is the main psychoactive compound in cannabis that produces the high sensation.
The bill would also limit patients to 15,000 milligrams of THC every 35 days.
Under the legislation, a physician may certify marijuana with any potency of THC is the patient is diagnosed with a terminal condition.
As it stands, THC ranges from 15-25 percent in medical marijuana.
Representative Spencer Roach (R), the bill’s sponsor, claimed overprescribing, doctor shopping and abuses are emerging in the medical marijuana realm.
“You know, 15 years ago when we look at the opioid crisis, this is what we were seeing. This kind of doctor shopping, drug seeking behavior and the difference is that now we can learn from that experience and we can act before it’s too late to protect the 500,000 Floridians who are using medical marijuana,” Roach said on Tuesday.
Previously, Nikki Fried, the Florida Commissioner of Agriculture, said that placing a cap on medical marijuana’s THC content, it could force patients to seek alternatives on the black market.
“Marijuana is medicine — it helps relieve symptoms of debilitating conditions and improves patients’ quality of life. Installing an arbitrary THC cap will limit the impact of the flower and increase costs, which could force patients to seek alternatives on the black market,” Fried said. “Decisions about treatment should be left between doctors and patients, not politicians.”
Once the bill is cleared by other committees, it will be up for a vote in the House.