Proposed legislation would allow medical marijuana patients to grow weed in their home

TAMPA, Fla. - Even though recreational marijuana didn't pass in November, efforts to expand medical marijuana are now in the works. If passed, Florida Senate bill 546 would make it so patients could grow their own marijuana at home.

The backstory:

For some medical marijuana patients in Florida, accessibility can sometimes be an issue depending on where you live.

"There are some areas in the state that are very rural. The closest dispensary is two hours away. There is a pretty robust delivery platform across the state at this point. By that, that does, you know, obviously, that's a delay. You can't just walk into a store and get up the same day," attorney Paula Savchenko said.

Big picture view:

It's partly why some patients are pushing for the passage of Florida Senate bill 546, which if passed would allow medical marijuana patients to grow no more than two marijuana plants in their home. As part of the legislation, patients interested would have to get a cultivation certificate first. To do so, you would have to register each plant and have an inspection, among other requirements.

"There is mixed reviews as far as current medical marijuana treatment centers on if they support this measure or not. But across the board, the industry really does support patients having the right to home grower cultivation," Savchenko said.

What they're saying:

Savchenko is an attorney in Fort Lauderdale who has worked with multiple dispensary companies in helping them get the proper documentation and approval to open up for business. In some cases, it's taken more than a year and a half to get a response and sometimes that's a denial that they have to appeal, which may take even longer. Another reason why home cultivation may be the right choice for some.

"It's just two plants per patient. It's more likely than not that's not going to be able to supply the full patients' needs, and they will still be going to stores," Savchenko said. 

What's next:

So far, the bill has only been introduced. The next step will be to have the bill assigned to a committee for a first reading. A date and time for that has yet to be set.