Medical Marijuana

A bill to allow medicinal, non-psychoactive, marijuana has passed out of the appropriate senate committee and will now be ready for the whole senate to vote on. As mentioned below, a companion bill has begun in the house. Depending on your thoughts about this, you may wish to write to your representatives and let them know how you feel about it (I plan to).

THIS IS NOT THE "GATEWAY DRUG" MARIJUANA. IT IS MEDICINAL ONLY AND THOSE WHO WANT TO GET HIGH, WILL NOT USE OR WANT THIS TYPE OF MARIJUANA!

It is important that we all understand this issue as to help us educate others. There is much confusion out there as I listen to the pros and cons. Many do not understand the bill, they just see this as a "Colorado" issue. This is very different.

For Immediate Release
March 12, 2014

Contact: Tom Griffin
Office of State Senator Rob Bradley
(850) 487-5007

Legislation Allowing for the Compassionate Use of Low-THC Grade Marijuana Passes Senate Health Policy Committee

Tallahassee–The Florida Senate Committee on Health Policy, chaired by Senator Aaron Bean (R-Fernandina Beach), yesterday passed Senate Bill 1030, allowing the compassionate use of low-THC grade marijuana for Floridians suffering with severe neurological conditions.

The Republican-led effort sponsored by Senator Rob Bradley (R-Fleming Island) and co-sponsored by Senator Jeff Brandes (R-St. Petersburg) and Chair Bean, would provide a framework for the production and distribution of non-smokable strains of cannabis with high concentrations of CBD, the medicinal component of cannabis, and low levels (.05%) of THC, the psychoactive component in marijuana.

“As parent, I would do anything to prevent my children from suffering, so I sympathize with the compelling testimony from parents forced to seek treatment in other states or face legal jeopardy in Florida.” said Senate President Don Gaetz (R-Niceville). “These parents aren’t criminals. They are desperate to find a solution to help their children who have not found relief with other medications. This legislation allows for the compassionate use of this particular strain of non-smokable medical cannabis and provides for the ongoing study of this type of treatment.”

“I made the decision to file SB 1030 after meeting with the families of children who suffer hundreds of serious seizures every day,” said Senator Bradley. “These desperate parents have tried everything. One father told me that his daughter has been put into a medically induced coma several times. We don't hear the voices of these Floridians in their 30's and 40's because most don't live past 25. Under current Florida law, if these parents give their suffering children this substance, they are criminals. Simply put, that's not right, and I filed a bill to fix it.”

SB 1030 creates a pathway toward legal use of substances similar to “Charlotte’s Web,” which is processed into an oil extract and administered by placing a droplet under the tongue, avoiding the harmful side effects of smoking marijuana. The hybrid strain, originally referred to as “Hippie’s Disappointment,” offers the therapeutic benefits of CBD without getting patients “high.” Charlotte’s Web has been reported to provide relief from serious illnesses, including for children suffering from daily seizures associated with epilepsy.

“Charlotte’s Web is different from what the public typically associates with marijuana,” said Chair Bean. “It’s non-smokable, non-euphoric, and most importantly provides relief to children suffering from debilitating seizures on a daily basis.”

“This bill is a starting point of a conversation about how Florida should adjust our laws to reflect new advancements in treatment,” said Senator Brandes. “Physicians should have all the tools at their disposal to improve the lives of those suffering from severe conditions like epilepsy.”

Representative Matt Gaetz (R-Shalimar) has filed the companion bill in the House, HB 843. ( Please note that I was unable to find this bill on the Florida Legislative website.)

Here is the link to the bill/Amendment

http://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2014/1030/Analyses/2014s1030.h...

http://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2014/1030/BillText/__/HTML
http://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2014/1030/Amendment/480078/PDF
For more information on SB 1030, please visit www.flsenate.gov.

Additional Information:

Medical Marijuana Laws in Other States
Currently, 20 states and the District of Columbia have some form of law that permits the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. These laws vary widely in detail but most are similar in that they touch on several recurring themes.
Most state laws include the following in some form:
•A list of medical conditions for which a practitioner can recommend the use of medical
marijuana to a patient.
• Nearly every state has a list of medical conditions though the particular conditions vary from state to state.
Most states also include a way to expand the list either by allowing a state agency or board to add medical conditions to the list or by including a “catch-all”
phrase.

Most states require that the patient receive certification from at least one, but often two, physicians designating that the patient has a qualifying condition before the patient may
be issued an ID card.
•Provisions for the patient to designate one or more caregivers who can possess the medical marijuana and assist the patient in preparing and using the medical marijuana.

The number of caregivers allowed and the qualifications to become a caregiver vary from state to state. Most states allow one or two caregivers and require that they be at least 21years of age and, typically, cannot be the patient’s physician.
Caregivers are generally allowed to purchase or grow marijuana for the patient, be in possession of the allowed quantity of marijuana, and aid the patient in using the marijuana, but are strictly prohibited from using the marijuana themselves.
•A required identification card for the patient, caregiver, or both that is typically issued by a state agency.
•A registry of people who have been issued an ID card.
•A method for registered patients and caregivers to obtain medical marijuana.

There are two general methods by which patients can obtain medical marijuana: either
they must self-cultivate the marijuana in their homes, or the state allows specified
marijuana points of sale or dispensaries.
The regulations governing such dispensaries vary widely.
•General restrictions on where medical marijuana may be used.
Typically, medical marijuana may not be used in public places, such as parks and on
buses, or in areas where there are more stringent restrictions placed on the use of drugs, such as in or around schools or in prisons.

Main Drug Properties:

Tetrahydrocannabinol
Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is the major psychoactive constituent of marijuana. The potency of marijuana, in terms of psychoactivity, is dependent on THC concentration and is usually expressed as percent of THC per dry weight of material.Average THC con
centration in marijuana is 1-5percentand the form of marijuana known as sinsemilla
is derived from the unpollinated female cannabis plant and is preferred for its high THC content (up to 17percentTHC). Recreational doses are highly variable and users often titer their own dose. A single intake of smoke from a pipe or joint is called a hit
(approximately 1/20th of a gram). The lower the potency or THC content the more hits are needed to achieve the desired effects. .Marinol is a currently approved drug that consists of a man-made form of THC known as dornabinol.
Marinol is used to treat anorexia associated with weight loss in patients with AIDS
and nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy in patients who have failed to adequately respond to conventional antiemetic treatments. Marinol has a variety of side-effects including a cannabinoid dose-related “high.”

Cannabidiol
Cannabidiol, or CBD, is another cannabinoid that is found in marijuana and, although THC has psychoactive effects, CBD and other cannabinoids are not known to cause intoxication.
There is some evidence that shows that CBD is effective in treating seizure disorders,
although much of this evidence is anecdotal. Currently, the drug Epidiolex, which is a liquid form of highly purified CBD extract, has been approved by the FDA in November
2013, as an orphan drug that may be used to treat Dravet syndrome.III.
Effect of Proposed Changes:
Section 1 of the bill creates s.
456.60, F.S., to allow the compassionate use of low-THC marijuana.

The bill:
•Defines the terms:
“Dispensing organization” to mean an organization approved by the DOH to cultivate,
process, and dispense low-THC marijuana; “Low-THC marijuana” to mean a substance that contains no more than .5 percent of any THC and at least 15 percent of CBD and which is dispensed from a dispensing organization;
“Medical use” to mean the administration of the ordered amount of low-THC
Marijuana with the exception of possession, use, or administration by smoking and the transfer of low-THC marijuana to a person other than the qualified patient or his or her
legal representative;
“Qualified patient” to mean a Florida resident who has been added to the compassionate
use registry by a Florida licensed physician; and “Smoking” to mean burning or igniting a substance and inhaling the smoke. The term smoking does not include the use of a vaporizer.
•Allows Florida licensed physicians to order low-THC marijuana fora patient suffering from a physical medical condition, or treatment for a medical condition, that chronically produces symptoms of seizure or severe and persistent muscle spasms.
The physician may only order low-THC marijuana if:
• The physician has tried alternate treatment options and there
are no satisfactory alternative treatments to eliminate the patient’s symptoms

• The patient is a permanent resident of Florida.

• The physician has treated the patient for his or her symptoms for at least 6 months;

• The physician, along with a second physician for patients under the age of 18, determines the risk of ordering low-THC marijuana are reasonable;

• The physician registers as the orderer for the named patient on the registry, updates the registry with the order’s contents, and deactivates the patient’s registration when treatment is discontinued;

• The physician maintains a patient treatment plan that includes the dose, route of
administration, planned duration, and monitoring of the patient’s symptoms and other
indicators of tolerance or reaction to the low-THC marijuana; and The physician submits the treatment plan quarterly to the University Of Florida College Of Pharmacy for research on the safety and efficacy of the low-THC marijuana.

Thanks again for your action on this item. The decision to support or not is up to you as is the case with all Action items shared.

God Bless You and God Bless Our America

Leanne

This is a combination of information received via email and the result of personal research.