Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services Nikki Fried is calling on the state Department of Health (DOH) and its Office of Medical Marijuana Use (OMMU) to roll back the dosage limits enacted via an emergency rule on August 29.
During a press conference, Fried called the rule change “unnecessary, its implementation poorly noticed, and its impacts extremely harmful with hundreds of thousands of patients in Florida no longer able to access their medicine in the quantities they need for efficient treatment as determined by their doctors.”
“This reflects a lack of understanding of medical cannabis by DOH and OMMU at best and is an act of cruelty at worst. We are sending a strong message to the DeSantis Administration to put patients first, protect their access to legal and lifesaving medicine, and roll back these restrictions. I will never stop fighting for our medical cannabis patients and full legalization.” — Fried during a press conference
In a letter to Dr. Joseph Ladapo, Florida’s Surgeon General, who oversees the OMMU, Fried said she had “grave concerns” over the rule.
“By limiting patients to purchasing only a maximum of 24,500 milligrams of THC over a 70-day period and a limit of 2.5 ounces of smokable cannabis in a 35-day period, the state is overriding the professional judgment of doctors and endangering the health of patients,” she wrote. “Many patients require the ability to purchase a higher dosage in multiple forms in order to test combinations and find the best balance to treat their particular condition in consultation with their doctor. The state has no business inserting itself into nuanced decisions being made between patients and their health care providers.”
In the letter, Fried called for officials to overturn the rule and “instead, work to improve the program in a way that puts patients and equity first and that provides patients and providers with a seat at the table when decisions impacting their care are being discussed.”
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