Health care Law: Medical Use of Marijuana in Florida - Senate Bill 8A (2017A) Overview

Using marijuana for medical purposes was allowed under The Medical Use of Marijuana Senate Bill enacted on 23rd June 2017. Marijuana and Marijuana delivery devices are exempted from tax by the bill, if they are sold, handled, used or delivered for medical purposes. The bill outlines the conditions that a patient must meet to qualify to use marijuana or related delivery device. The bill gives the basis for establishing marijuana testing laboratories. It sets up the Coalition for Medical Marijuana Research and Education. The latter is set to be established at the H. Lee Moffit Cancer Center and Research Institute, Inc (Florida Health, 2017).

Patients with recommendation from a physician can obtain medical cannabis from dispensaries that have been licensed by the state; thanks to The Senate Bill 8A (2017A). Medical practitioners are restrained from issuing certification for marijuana use for more than the set 70-day supply limit. The Health Department is expected to quantify the dose amount for daily use, as a rule, and equivalent doses for the various marijuana forms allowed and provided by a medical marijuana treatment facility....

Patients that qualify for medical use of marijuana are restrained from possessing, administering or using marijuana in smoking form. They are also restrained from using it in any other form other than in edible form, or in flower unless such flowers are in a sealed tamper-proof pack for vaping.
Effect of the Bill

i. Drug Use

The most notable potential impact of legalizing marijuana is on its usage and the use of other drugs or alcohol. There is a debate on whether an increase in marijuana use is a problem or a good thing. However, since the other effects are determined by use, the significant step is to, first determine the extent to which policy influences usage. If the effects are marginal, then it can be inferred that residual effects of legalizing the drug are likely to be negligible (Dills, Goffard & Miron, 2016).

ii. Health and suicides

Earlier studies have shown that there is a relationship between a drop in suicide rates and the allowing of marijuana for medical use; especially among people that are most prone to marijuana use (males ages 20 to 39). Those who support legalization of marijuana use for medical purposes say that the drug can effectively treat bipolar…