House Moves Forward on Medical Marijuana

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That’s in contrast with a leading Senate proposal, which would require the state to issue five new licenses by the end of the year and up to 20 new licenses — nearly quadruple the current number of seven — by the time the patient registry reaches 500,000.

Rodrigues’ legislation would also maintain a required three-month relationship between patients and doctors before health care providers could order the marijuana treatment, something critics say is detrimental.

Opponents of the constitutional amendment — including Drug Free America and Save Our Society from Drugs — are throwing their support behind the Rodrigues bill.

Calvina Fay, executive director of St. Petersburg-based Drug Free America, told the panel Tuesday she was pleased the proposal “has incorporated many of our recommendations.”

But Ben Pollara, campaign manager for the political committee that backed Amendment 2, harshly criticized the House plan, saying it “was written for the less than 29 percent who voted ‘no’ rather than the over 71 percent who voted ‘yes’ “” on the amendment.