Florida Board of Medicine to Hold Public Hearing on Medical Marijuana

Florida Board of Medicine to Hold Public Hearing on Medical Marijuana

Flickr / Grant Hutchinson / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

On Feb. 3, 2017, the Florida Board of Medicine will hold a public hearing to discuss a proposed amendment to the state’s telemedicine regulations that would prevent physicians from recommending medical marijuana over the internet.

Published in December, the amendment is meant to clear up confusion between existing law and the state’s newly minted medical marijuana laws. Under current Florida law, controlled substances may not be prescribed via telemedicine.

But under Amendment 2, the initiative which legalized medical marijuana in Florida, patients only have to have a three month relationship with their doctor.

Speaking with the South Florida Business Journal, Foley & Lardner partner Nathaniel Lacktman explained that the amendment represents efforts by the board to “limit irresponsible proliferation of the illicit substance.”

According to Lacktman, “The board hasn’t articulated any rationale or reason. I think it’s probably an arbitrary barrier designed to help limit drug diversion — improper or medically unnecessary prescribing of marijuana.”

The hearing will take place on Feb. 3 at 8:00 a.m. at The Omni Orlando Resort at Championsgate in Championsgate, Florida.

William Sumner, a freelance writer and marijuana journalist, was a staff writer for MJINews from May 2014 through February 2018. You can follow him on Twitter @W_Sumner.

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