Florida Senate - 2022                                     SB 740
       
       
        
       By Senator Brandes
       
       
       
       
       
       24-00945-22                                            2022740__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to medical marijuana patient
    3         protection; providing a short title; providing
    4         legislative intent; amending s. 381.986, F.S.;
    5         providing that a qualified patient’s medical use of
    6         marijuana does not constitute the use of an illicit
    7         substance or otherwise disqualify such patient from
    8         medical treatment or other medically approved
    9         therapies; providing an effective date.
   10          
   11  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   12  
   13         Section 1. This act may be cited as the “Medical Marijuana
   14  Patient Protection Act.”
   15         Section 2. It is the intent of the Legislature to establish
   16  protections from discrimination for qualified patients using
   17  medical marijuana under s. 29, Article X of the State
   18  Constitution. It is inappropriate for these patients to be
   19  denied medical treatment, including organ transplants or pain
   20  management, or prevented from using other medically approved
   21  therapies because they have engaged in a therapy authorized by
   22  the constitution and laws of this state.
   23         Section 3. Present subsections (15), (16), and (17) of
   24  section 381.986, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as
   25  subsections (16), (17), and (18), respectively, and a new
   26  subsection (15) is added to that section, to read:
   27         381.986 Medical use of marijuana.—
   28         (15) DISCRIMINATION AGAINST QUALIFIED PATIENTS.—For
   29  purposes of medical care, a qualified patient’s medical use of
   30  marijuana does not constitute the use of an illicit substance or
   31  otherwise disqualify the patient from medical treatment or other
   32  medically approved therapies, including, but not limited to,
   33  organ transplantation and pain management.
   34         Section 4. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.