Ray Rodrigues force fed the 10% THC cap as an amendment to SB 188 which does have other useful provisions. Write to your lawmakers and call your lawmakers to ENSURE that this DOESN’T get to Governor DeSantis’ desk.
Edit: 5:06- Correction, This was a stand alone amendment tacked on to unrelated bill SB 188. No companion bill needed.
Edit: 5:05- SB 188 passed YEAS 76 NAYS 34. Will of the people has been subverted. On to Gov DeSantis to ask him to Veto.
Sample letter to send to your lawmakers in Florida Courtesy of /u/ traktrmia:
“Points to bring up to a congressman
1. The is no marijuana induced psychosis epidemic in Florida
2. The main problem in legal states involve recreational users eating too much THC in edibles without understanding what they are getting into. Even so, there is hardly a psychosis epidemic from edibles. And much more importantly to this law, there is NO psychosis epidemic from inhalation (vaping or smoking).
3. In Florida, patients have twice a year doctor consultations to help prevent accidental misuse of marijuana. In addition, these visits act as a safety shield requiring patients to speak directly to their doctors. Any signs of psychosis should be evident to a physician over the course of 15 minute consultation.
4. The have been no in depth studies comparing psychological effects of varying marijuana potencies.
5. The Lancet study (the one that Ray Rodrigues uses as justification for his amendment) dealt with populations that had certain markers that predisposed them to psychosis. For example, compared to the control group, a higher percentage of the test group were racial minorities, unemployed, of lower education and had higher previous usage rates of stimulants, hallucinogens and ketamine. In addition, that study was a statistical meta-analysis of many other studies all with various original purposes, none were designed to compare psychological effects of varying THC concentrations in whole flower marijuana. The conclusion of the Lancet study was that "more research is necessary" https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(19)30048-3/fulltext30048-3/fulltext)
6. When scientist's said fracking in Florida's unusual geology could lead to problems, Ray Rodrigues supported a bill having the State pay for a study into the impact of fracking. If the State is truly concerned with 15% flower causing hypothetical problems for patients, in the absence of a current crisis, the State should commission of study or multiple studies through the psychology and psychiatry departments at State's research universities. This would be a win/win, Florida's Universities could be at the forefront of medical marijuana research and patients would gain valuable information.
7. The bill does not define how to measure 10%. There is no precise measurement of THC in flower as it can vary from plant to plant. Percentage also varies depending on moisture content. The bill does State what condition that plant must be in when it is measured. The rush to create a bill, leaves open the possibility of much manipulation... which will in turn hurt patients since they might not no how much the product has change since the time the product was measured. If such a limit is adopted by the State, growers and producers should be involved in setting up standardized processes.
8. The limit will move people out of the medical system and back into the black market.
9. The limit is an arbitrary attack on patients that use whole flower. There are no comparable limits for concentrates, oil, pill or any other form of marijuana.
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