Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
From the WA and M Studio on the campus of
Florida A and M University.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
This is Mary Forum Radio, a weekly conversation on the
education and research of the medical marijuana being conducted at
THEM Union.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Hi. I'm Heidi Outway, your host for this conversations on
Cannabis virtual form, brought to you by the Medical Marijuana
Education and Research Initiative at Florida and M University. In
this conversation, we're talking about the state of cannabis in
Florida and across the nation, including new and proposed changes
(00:34):
to marijuana laws. So let's talk and learn about this
subject with our guests. Carla Ashburn has been working within
Florida's cannabis industry for nearly a decade. She is the
founder of Medical Marijuana Care of Florida, where she mentors
and assists physicians who want to work within the state's
(00:54):
cannabis industry. Carla, Welcome to the Forum. Tell us more
about yourself.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
Thanks him.
Speaker 4 (01:00):
I'm very pleased to be here and thank you for
the opportunity.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
So yeah, you summed it up.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
I had an opportunity many years ago to get into
the industry and what I found was the first thing
I needed to do was bridge the gap, right, because
even the physicians who thought that they knew or wanted
to get into the industry didn't know anything about cannabis.
And I had spent a year while I was still
(01:27):
keeping my day job to make sure that I believed
in it right. And so that is how my journey started,
was helping physicians. And I still do do that, but
I also have two clinics and have roughly thirty five
hundred patients in the state.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
So yeah, that's that's it. In a nutshell. I could
go on, but I.
Speaker 4 (01:53):
Spent a lot of time during legislative session so that
I am able to educate my patients because you know,
an educated patient and educated individual wanting to see if
cannabis is right for their health regiment easy to be educated.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
And then an educated individual.
Speaker 4 (02:14):
You know, my motto is let us help you in
your path too with that is Mmcare's motto. And then
in the education, and you know, that's how we get there.
And then educated people can make better, educated decisions about
their health, and then they can be educated voters when
it comes down to, hey, how can my voice be heard?
(02:36):
I want to be part of this. I want to understand.
Speaker 3 (02:39):
So that's it.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Our other guest is Chanelle Lindsay, an attorney, entrepreneur, and
cannabis policy expert.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
She is the.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Founder and entrepreneurship director of the Parabola Center for Law
and Policy. Chanel, Welcome to the forum. Tell us more
about yourself.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
Thank you, Heidi, Thank you you for having me. As
you mentioned, I'm an attorney and over twenty years ago,
and I was studying to become an attorney at the
same time, I got introduced to the idea of using
medical cannabis to treat a serious health condition that I
had at that time, ovari insist I got after I
(03:18):
my son was born. And so over these last two decades,
I have been educating people and developing a technology that
helps medical cannabis patients utilize the products better. And at
the same time, I've been working on the policy side
of things to bring policy forward that helps people rather
(03:40):
than corporations when it comes down to the legalization of
medical and adult use cannabis. And so, as you mentioned now,
I'm one of the co founders of the Parabala Center
for Law and Policy, and we work both nationally and
internationally to make sure that any cannabis that does come
(04:01):
to light is one that focuses on public health, public safety,
access for patients, and small businesses over big monopolies.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Okay, well, thank you both for participating in this forum.
I'm really looking forward to this conversation. To everyone watching,
please share the link to this form on your social
media channels so others can learn about this topic. We
also want you to tell us what you think about
this form by completing the survey that will be posted
on Mary's social media pages. Your name will be entered
(04:33):
into a drawing in February twenty twenty six to win
a one hundred dollars gift card provided by one of
Mary's partners. Now let's start this conversation on cannabis. So
late last year, the President signed an executive order directoring
federal agencies to accelerate the process of rescheduling cannabis under
(04:55):
federal law. So, Chanel, I'm gonna start with you. Can
you tell our listeners and viewers what is rescheduling?
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Heidi, I'd love to. And in order for us to
understand really what's happening here, it's important to give a
little bit of background on the legal status of patus
and what the framework looks like right now. So for
people should understand that cannabis wasn't illegal in this country
until nineteen thirty seven. It became illegal and then that
(05:26):
was codified into law in nineteen seventy with the Controlled
Substances Act. Cannabis was placed on the Controlled Substances Act
in Schedule one, which is the highest schedule, which is
considered no medical value at all. And it's the same
schedule where you see things like heroin and other drugs
(05:47):
that are considered harmful to society really. And so at
that point, with the federal illegality, that means that anything
that we see right now as far as legalization for
medical and recreational programs arose within that particular state. So,
starting in nineteen ninety six in California, state started legalizing
(06:10):
programs for medical use and then moved on to adult
use programs. And it's usually a pretty predictable pattern of
decriminalization then moving to medical, then moving to adult use. Now,
currently we have over forty states that have some sort
(06:30):
of medical program. We have twenty four states plus the
District of Columbia and some of our territories that have
adult use programs despite it being federally illegal. We have
quite a bit of cannabis that is in our country
at this point. That makes this move of rescheduling now
(06:53):
moving from Schedule one to Schedule three, which was actually
something that was introduced under Joe Biden said that he
was going to do that. But it when when a
president says something, there is are things that need to
happen after that for it to actually become reality. And
so now here we are again at this point with
(07:15):
the executive order that was signed last year that gave
a direction to speed up that process to move from
Schedule one to Schedule three. And so what that would
mean is that now instead of being in the highest
schedule where it's very restricted when it comes to even
research that can be done in academic institutions which obviously
(07:37):
be aware of those kind of restrictions as well, which
is that basically we've been kept from being able to
utilize cannabis and be in a safe place on the
federal side. And so moving it to Schedule three is
a move that would keep it within the Controlled Substances Act,
(07:58):
but fit into a schedule that would allow pharmaceutical research,
would have allowed general research but frankly, there are big
questions about what that move would mean to the state programs,
and it's important for folks to understand that we live
in a union, right, a state of the Union, with
(08:20):
all of the different states coming together under one union.
And what that means is that when the government decides
that something is federally that they're going to federally regulate it,
that can have big impacts on what the states have
done individually. It's kind of the same reason why one
state can't have a rule against somebody in a different
(08:42):
state have different rules, And what we have in our
state system is lots of different patchwork of state programs
that have been building on their own, but when Schedule
three comes into play, it may offend those programs.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
Right.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
There are big questions about what's scared Edule three will mean,
and no one really has the answers to those questions yet.
But there are concerns when it comes to the state
programs about when federal legalization comes, things like equity programs
that exists in the state, things like residency requirements for ownership,
(09:18):
those things may be invalidated if the federal legalization isn't
approached in a certain way, and it's certainly putting. People
are watching very closely about what is going to happen
and how that rescheduling is going to roll out. So
we know that rescheduling has been made a priority by
(09:39):
the administration, but the big question mark is how that
rescheduling process will go, what the regulations around that will
come out from the FDA around that and the DEA
when it comes down to how people can manage and
handle cannabis, and whether those rules are going to conflict
with the rules and the programs that we've seen in
(09:59):
these the programs, many of which have existed for you know,
a decade or more at this point.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
Yeah, Well, my understanding is that there is a process
too rescheduling, and you kind of talk to it. You know,
there's you know, the President Trump made the order, so
now you know his administration has to make it happen.
So Carla, can you touch a little bit on what
that process would look like, even though there's a lot
of uncertainties here from what I'm here in say.
Speaker 4 (10:28):
Yeah, and there is a lot of uncertainty, and I
may have missed it from Chanel, but one of the
other things that it does add is that it shows
that she did mention. You know, it was on there
with heroin n LST. But it now says there that
there is medicinal value. That's what Schedule three says. Yes,
it opens it up for research, but the fact that
(10:50):
it putting you know, now moving to A three says
that it's not highly addictive, that there is medicinal value.
Speaker 3 (10:59):
So I just wanted to throw that in there. And
I may have.
Speaker 4 (11:00):
Missed it Chanel, but but I thought that was worth
noting again. And then so where does that start. It's
all over the board, right, Uh. It could take quite
some time to build that frame legal framework.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
And it does leave.
Speaker 4 (11:19):
A lot of questions open because now that you are
saying it's some medicine, which we all know it is,
we do uh, you know, then it goes back to Okay,
every other Schedule three drag has to be you have
to you have to be under doctor's care, and you
(11:41):
have to be seen every ninety days, so that whether
or not you know how the efficacy of that medicine is.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
So we want to keep that in mind.
Speaker 4 (11:52):
And I think one of the most important things is
people a lot of people do not understand the legal
side and they think that they just turned and there
it is, it's already in place, and it's not and
it can take quite a few years.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
And so we have.
Speaker 4 (12:09):
Yeah, the executive order was say, you know, let's push
us forward, let's get this going quickly. And those of
us that know and understand law not a liar. But
nothing happens quickly legally because it has to be done properly.
So in my opinion, nothing changes here in Florida. Yet,
(12:33):
you know that the fact that it was rescheduled is
a good thing. However, we do have another avenue that
I think we're going to touch on, and I'm not
sure if we're ready to go there yet.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
Yeah. I wanted to do a follow up question with
Chanelle because if cannabis marijuana is moved to a Schedule three,
that opens it up for more research because currently, under
Schedule one, you can't do research cannabis research in the US.
So can you talk a little bit about how this
could open up research opportunities if it were to move
(13:09):
to a Schedule three.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
Absolutely, And Carla touched on it, which is that the
big win of Schedule three is that it opens up
for research, right, and probably probably one of the few
wins when it comes down to clarity and making sure
that state programs are protected, right. And the other thing
that Carlo said that was spawn on, which is that
it needs to be done properly, and there's big questions
(13:33):
about how this is going to roll out right. And
when we say properly, there are, as we know in
our nation, when we look at kind of the economics
of things, when you have a new industry that's opening up,
that has the opportunity for a lot of profit, you
certainly have kind of proven bad actors waiting to enter
(13:54):
into that marketplace. And those folks that I'm talking about
are kind of like big to bacco, big alcohol. And
there are certainly concerns about whether it's moved to Schedule
three without specific protections being put into the law to
protect state programs to allow state medical marijuana programs and
(14:15):
adult use programs to continue as they are, then there
will be certainly a big upending of what already is
in place that could position the industry much more towards
pharmaceuticals right and big pharma versus allowing for the type
(14:36):
of access that patients have had to medicines and products
that work really well for them that aren't necessary, that
aren't pharmaceuticals, right, So that is a big concern about,
as Carla mentioned, kind of restricting access to patients or
making additional hurdles for patients that do require things like
prescriptions or do require things like DEA licenses from producers
(15:00):
who may never have the ability to reach those standards,
but who we know are clearly helping people through medical
programs now, and so that is a big concern. So
that kind of is the counterpoint to the great news,
which is that it would allow research, but there are
other avenues that would allow research that aren't moving it
(15:23):
to Schedule three and keeping it within this more pharmaceutical
structure is more ripe to be taken over by big business, which,
as we see from big alcohol, big tobacco, and big pharma,
that does not lead to better health outcomes for us
as a community.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
Yeah, Carl, did you want to add to that before
we go to our next topic.
Speaker 3 (15:46):
No, I think we both covered it pretty well. Great, Okay,
you have a question.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
So we when we were preparing for this conversation, you
all mentioned the topic that we have been discussed on
this form. So I'm really excited to dig into this,
tell us about de scheduling, which is another option to rescheduling.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
Was Shanaga, I think you were going to start with that.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Yes, sorry about our flow. Yes, So, as we mentioned before,
back before nineteen thirty seven, cannabis was used widely for
medical purposes. It was not on any schedule. It wasn't
it wasn't controlled in the way that it is now.
(16:34):
And so as I mentioned, when the Controlled Substances app
came into play in nineteen seventy and cannabis was placed
on Schedule one, I think it's important for us to
remember that that wasn't the only option. Cannabis didn't have
to go on any schedule, And so there is and
for a long time within the medical cannabis community and
(16:56):
adult use community, there has been a push to not
re schedule, but to deschedule right, and rescheduling has always
been seen within the community as something that we you know,
that not many people were actually pushing for. In fact,
descheduling is really what the hope is from the cannabis community, right,
(17:18):
which is removing it completely from the Controlled Substances Act
so that it can be more widely available under state
programs and the states could be free to enact programs
without fearing federal prosecution. Because let's remember when state programs
first started coming online, they were very worried about, and
(17:38):
even patients were worried about, and even patients still now
are worried about, you know, federal intervention of doing something
that's illegal. So de scheduling is certainly another option that
still exists that could still happen if they're if Congress
was to make that move.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
Yeah, and I guess to Carlos point, if they were
to pursue it, is it safe to say it'll take
some time?
Speaker 4 (18:04):
Carl absolutely, absolutely, because that in itself, you know, brings
on a lot a lot of other things that Chanel
already mentioned. And the scheduling also does not always mean decriminalization, right,
so people need to keep that in mind too.
Speaker 3 (18:25):
Well.
Speaker 4 (18:25):
Sounds it is a better option, but it still comes
with its legalities that will have to be worked out.
And I think, if you don't mind, I want it's
something I remembered about the reclassification that is that can
be concerning, is that so now you can't they cannot
(18:48):
drug test federal employees for cannabis, And and there's a concern,
you know, and we're talking pilots and you know, just
and just think of all the people, so you.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
Have a safety sensitive rules. As my understanding, they have
to test for that. They test those individuals.
Speaker 4 (19:09):
Right, And you can correct me if I'm wrong now,
but that was my understanding is that they as a
schedule three can they.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
I think it would depend on what the regulations say
about certain levels of jobs. But I'm not more I'm
not well versed enough to speak on that piece right now.
I believe it's one of the pieces that are up
in the air about what this will mean. And I
think that all of the conversations we're having today really show,
(19:41):
you know, what kind of quagmire can ensue when you
have you know, such a for such a long time,
the dissonance between what's happening on state level and what's
happening on the federal level. And when a federal now
comes in and tries to assert or makes that move,
(20:01):
what does that mean for people that now you know,
industries that exist right and patients that are heavily reliant.
And we also didn't talk about how kind of this
is further muddied by the fact that Hemp and kind
of THHCA products over these last years have become readily
(20:23):
available under the loophole on the farm bill, right, and
so that has added a lot of which is closing
at the end of this year too. So it's very
interesting that all of these things are essentially happening at
the same time, right, which is this push to move
to Schedule three and at the same time HEMP starting
(20:43):
to be you know, on the schedule to be restricted
in December of this year, and many people losing access
to those products, which you know, people feel you know,
there are people on both sides of the fence about
you know, access under him.
Speaker 1 (21:02):
Yeah, yeah, fascinating. I mean, it just sounds like so
much And I'm glad you all brought this up because
that's a topic that we really hadn't dug in on,
was the descheduling, and then you guys added some more
context around rescheduling. So thank you all for sharing that.
(21:23):
I want to kind of shift a little bit to
where we're seeing multiple states are actively considering or they're
either considering or actively repealing legal recreational use. Chanelle, can
you talk about where this is happening and what has
(21:44):
prompted those actions from those states.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
Yeah, so I'll kind of talk about it in two
separate pieces here. First is the kind of the trends
around like adult use cannabis that we've seen in the
last couple of years, which in the beginning, there was
a lot of progress around both medical and adult use initiatives.
(22:08):
There were many many years where we were as the
cannabis community kind of winning those initiatives and you saw
the large spread of adult use and medical to the
point where, like I mentioned, we're at forty four medical
and nearly half of states for adult use. But in
the last couple of years, we've seen trends starting to
(22:29):
go the other way, which is valid initiatives that have
been failing to move the needle for adult use, including
in Florida, also in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Oklahoma
as well. Those were all losses in twenty twenty four,
so those were very recent and so I think that's
(22:51):
part of this larger trend of a little bit of
pushback that we're seeing within the nation when it comes
down to cannabis legislation there. And I think that the
latest piece is going even further, which is attempts to
repeal state initiatives that have already been in place, and
(23:14):
so this year there are three states that have groups
within them that are moving to try to repeal in
some way. None of them have been successful yet, but
the Massachusetts initiative is one that is funded by an
anti cannabis group that has that was against both are
(23:39):
medical and our adult use push in Massachusetts. So it's
that same group that is funding now this ballot initiative
to repeal. And when I say to ballot initiatives, I
think it makes sense to mention too that almost all
cannabis initiatives up until this point have been based on voters,
(24:00):
citizens coming together and creating what's called a ballot initiative
or constitutional amendment initiative and putting that forward to voters,
rather than it happening through the legislature right how laws
are usually made. There have only been two states that
have done it through legislative process, sorry three Vermont was
(24:20):
the first, then Illinois, and then Virginia. So those the
only legislatures that have come and done a legalization measure.
Other than that, it's been valid initiative, so it's largely
been pushed by communities and people and frankly patients and
people that want more sensible policies and don't want people
to be arrested anymore for consuming cannabis. Right, these repeal initiatives,
(24:46):
so for example, in Massachusetts, that is the only one
that has been certified to move forward on the ballot.
The other two one of in Maine and the other
one is in Arizona, and we are still waiting on
the those two to see whether or not they will
have enough signatures to move forward to get on the bout.
That's how the ballot initiative works. Write it. They have
(25:08):
to get enough signatures to get it onto the ballot,
and the Attorney General usually approves that or support if there's
a fight about whether it should be on the ballot,
and then voters vote for it. So, just like the
ballid initiatives to legalize, these ballot initiatives to repeal need
to get enough votes in order to make that a reality.
(25:30):
So yeah, so we're watching those very closely. But it
is part of a larger trend of kind of pushback
against cannabis initiatives. Even though the folks that are behind
these repeal initiatives are pretty much the same prohibitionist actors
that we've seen from the beginning that have been against it,
(25:53):
but it is an opportunity. You know, this is a
you know, social experiment of sorts, right, we're coming when
we're dealing with people that care about these things and
using our legal system in order to make movement. And
so we're seeing this again through these repeal initiatives.
Speaker 1 (26:14):
In Florida is a little bit of a story when
it comes to policies that are taking place in Carla,
I wanted to kind of have you talk about some
of the policies that we're seeing in Florida to make
some adjustments for our legal medical marijuana use laws because
we do not in Florida a lot of recreational use,
(26:35):
as you mentioned earlier chanellet Field the ballot. So Carla,
can you give us a little snapshot of what's happening
in Florida when it comes to canvas policy and use.
Speaker 3 (26:43):
Sure, I'd be glad to thank you. We have.
Speaker 4 (26:47):
This year's is quite has quite a few goals that
are centered around medical marijuana, and one though I wanted
to mention that did pass last year just recently was convictions.
Speaker 3 (27:01):
So if you've had a conviction of.
Speaker 4 (27:05):
You know, trafficking or possession over the limit, any anything
that is still considered legal.
Speaker 3 (27:12):
While there was uh you know, I.
Speaker 4 (27:15):
Have I had plenty of probation officers that would send
you know, people to my clinic.
Speaker 3 (27:21):
Uh, that is no longer.
Speaker 4 (27:23):
If you have a conviction, or even if you are
in the middle of and have not been you know,
convicted yet, you automatically lose.
Speaker 3 (27:31):
Your medical marijuana card.
Speaker 4 (27:34):
And that's important because you know that the confusion is
it was not like that, so people thought they were
doing the right thing. And I don't I think that's
such an important message we need to get out there
because what what you do, still have the ability once
you have completed you know, all your court uh mandates,
(27:57):
and you.
Speaker 3 (27:59):
Can't apply to get it again.
Speaker 4 (28:03):
But it's still that that's not real clear, you know
as to I'm sure it would be an individual basis,
but there is still the opportunity to be able to
get it back. But if you have violated the laws,
you know, trafficking over possession for better.
Speaker 3 (28:20):
Word of using.
Speaker 4 (28:22):
But that's an important one that people need to know
because it has already passed and there is no notification.
It is automatic. We don't even know at the clinic,
the doctor. We don't even get notified, so it is
up to the individual to watch that if they know.
Speaker 3 (28:41):
So that was one that's already passed. This year. We're
looking at quite a few bills.
Speaker 4 (28:49):
You know, we have smoking in public, so it's not
while it's a cannabis and this bill it we in
the state of Florida, we have a we're a smoke
free state. That's what we want, you know, that's what
we We care about the health of our people. So
(29:10):
it's not it just is an addendum if in my opinion,
it's an addendum to stick a stain with what you know,
wanting to be. It's not just about cannabis. It's about
smoke free Florida. So that's one that's out there. Another
one is open container, which has always been you know,
(29:32):
you go to the dispensary, you pick up your medicine,
and you take it home. So the open container is
any container that any seal that has been broken is
considered a container, even in a parked car. Is what
the build This has not obviously is not all played
(29:53):
out yet and we don't know the the end result.
But open containers a container, right, you know, you shouldn't.
The implication is that you're driving impaired. You know, why
would why would you have an open container? So that
is important as well. We have the we do have
(30:14):
a recreational We have a recreational ballot initiative going on
right now. We have enough signatures for it to get
on the ballot, except that that has been challenged and
we don't have to go and all that. But they
have thrown out quite a few of the signatures because
(30:36):
they were invalid. So we do anticipate that it will
get on get on the ballot. But in that form
it's you know, twenty one adult use, twenty one years
old adult use, but it does not include in that
one homegrown.
Speaker 3 (30:58):
So it's just.
Speaker 4 (31:00):
The being able and then the m MTC is becoming recreational.
Speaker 3 (31:07):
It failed last year.
Speaker 4 (31:10):
With well another wait and see, but again I still
feel you know, last year, we did a lot of
educating to our patients. You need to understand what's in
the bill before you go vote, you know, and that's
where the education is so important. Conversations are so important.
We do have there is an employee protection bill out
(31:32):
there that we're looking at and watching and and it
you know, it's it's kind of murky waters too, right,
because it is hard to nail down you know, what
impairment is to each individual because cannabis is different with
(31:56):
every every person. You know your metabolism, your diet for
other medications. So while it's difficult, you know, if somebody
only uses at night, are they impaired the next day?
So it's going to be that's going to be another
interesting one to see because uh, employers have the right
to a drug free workplace. So then there is another
(32:21):
bill that's for printal rights during custody cases. And I've
actually had some patients that we had to deal with
that and provide documentation.
Speaker 3 (32:32):
To show you know that.
Speaker 4 (32:36):
You know what they're medically why they're medically using it. So, yeah,
there's a lot of a lot of stuff out there
this year going on, and you know a lot of
it is protections for for and I think that's a
misconception people have too, is if it goes recreational, they
(32:59):
don't fall under those protections, you know, the protections of
the bills that I'm talking about, or for medical.
Speaker 1 (33:05):
Patients, right, because that's what le in Florida's right, right.
Speaker 4 (33:10):
But again, if they vote for recreational Do they understand
that they lose these rights that we fight for for
the medical patient and just you know Chanel had touched
on it too.
Speaker 3 (33:24):
As veterans, you know, they were very.
Speaker 4 (33:27):
Very leary for many years to get a card because
they thought that they would lose their benefits, which they
would have twenty eighteen November twenty eighteen was when Florida
said they would not lose their benefits. So, you know,
conversations with Mary is so important because we've got to
(33:48):
get that education out there.
Speaker 3 (33:50):
We've got to.
Speaker 1 (33:51):
Yeah, thank you. Now, did you want to add to that?
I know you work all over the country. Was there
anything else you wanted to add or did Carla cover everything?
Speaker 3 (34:00):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (34:00):
Carla as always made there. And when we're thinking about
most importantly about like protections that need to be placed
within the laws around in the states, for parental rights,
for employment rights and other things like that, those things
don't automatically come. And frankly, those things usually when when
(34:21):
an adult use program comes, it usually takes court cases
in order to protect people's rights. And that's what happened
in Massachusetts. After legalization, we were able to get some
of these things and family protections in our bill because
we didn't have those protections on as enough protections on
(34:42):
the medical side and wanted to correct some of those.
And that's what I would say that like, sometimes sometimes
an adult use bill is structured, an amendment is structured
in a way that you know, benefits corporate interests. And
then sometimes there's bills that are structured in a way
that really focus on public health and protecting the community
(35:04):
and protecting people. And part of those protecting people is
protecting their individual rights to use you know, in family
court matters, in job protection and other things as well.
And you'll see those things kind of tested out within
the court afterwards, making protections for people where they may
not have existed. But that's unfortunate for folks that they
(35:25):
have to go through a situation that pulls them in
court and that everybody else has to kind of wait,
like Carlo is saying, with veterans who may not be
losing their benefits, but may lose access to certain medicines
when the federal government finds out that they are using cannabis. Right,
So how fair is it for a veteran who needs
opioids not to now has to choose between cannabis or
(35:46):
opioids when both of them together could be helping that person, right,
and really it should be a doctor potentially deciding what's
best for that veteran. So there are really big challenges,
like we mentioned that really do go back to this
conflict between the state and the federal government. And now
we're at this crossroads in America where we are looking
(36:08):
to see what will happen and how that will resolve.
And there are I think opportunities to try to use
our voices to make sure that these things are going
the way that we'd like them to go, but certainly
big question marks about what's next.
Speaker 1 (36:25):
Yeah, yeah, Well you all both hit two words that
kind of segue into the next topic that I wanted
to kind of close with, and that is, you know,
education and protection. Those are the words I heard you
all you mentioned in your comments just now, and so
I wanted to just kind of highlight that here in Florida,
Mary has been focusing on educating the public about holistic
(36:46):
recreational use and really spending a lot of time in
communities across the state to inform Floridians about the risk
it poses to children and teens and so I want
to share some headlines that we've seen here in Florida.
So like in Marion County, there were three students who
were hospitalized after consuming cannabis in their middle school. And
(37:09):
then when you look nationally, you know, we had teens
in Texas that resold THHC gummies that cause overdose like
symptoms at a graduation party. So we're seeing, you know,
more of these kinds of headlines, and I just want
to talk a little bit about this when it comes
to these patterns of youth exposure and use of illegal cannabis.
(37:33):
So Carla, I'm going to come to you and then
Chanelle have you kind of round out on the national front.
But Carla, let's talk about Florida.
Speaker 4 (37:43):
Obviously it's not you know, just in Florida, but when
they have access, when the parents have access to medical cannabis,
you know, again, it goes back to the word conversations,
which I love. I kind of have a conversations Matter
hashtagged to my because they matter, and they it needs
(38:06):
to be treated like any other medicine in the home,
and it does not need to be hidden. It needs
to be talked about and it needs to be you know,
explained this is an adult medicine. You know the fact
that the packaging has changed to completely white, you know,
and it does have the thhc uh stamp.
Speaker 3 (38:27):
If you will on there.
Speaker 4 (38:29):
You have to explain to them th hc means it's
an adult medicine and it's not a one time conversation.
It's you know, and you can even they should even
explain how it helps and that it's not for children
or teenagers. Now we know that teenagers are always going
to try try different things, but it's still it does
(38:55):
you know it is the parents responsibility to keep it
locked up, to explain what it is and keep it
out of hands.
Speaker 3 (39:03):
There is a rise. I agree.
Speaker 4 (39:07):
I've heard it, read it every day and some of
the concern is is it really is that coming from
the hemp side, you know, the where they can go
in and purchase it, you know, is it the synthetics
that they're getting that uh, you know when we dive
into the hemp hemp world and the van that is
(39:30):
coming up because you still have to have that conversation.
Even though you medically have a card, they need to
understand that, you know, they cannot off the streets. You know,
we had so many Yeah, they could be laced with
so many different things. So you know, is it the
(39:50):
illicit market they're getting are they getting it from their parents?
I think we need to find out, you know, first
where where's it come from?
Speaker 3 (39:59):
Because we do know.
Speaker 4 (40:00):
That all of USTI drugs are available anywhere, you know,
unfortunately they are. But you know, the low doses that
we have, like for our gummies at ten milligrams in
Florida shouldn't cause you know, they don't understand the cause
of the effect, right, especially with edibles. You know, everybody
(40:22):
metabolizes differently, so how long does it take to to
you know, become effective. And if they don't fill it
in the first hour, they take more and then that's
where you get to the over consumption is what we
call it. And so back to the vaping those well,
(40:43):
it's it's it's everywhere, and.
Speaker 3 (40:46):
You know it needs to.
Speaker 4 (40:49):
We need to be more have more conversations.
Speaker 3 (40:53):
We just we just do.
Speaker 4 (40:57):
And again I think we mentioned at the yeah, at
the teenage years, you know, we still are unclear the
development of the brain and what it can the damage
it can do. And vaping is more instant, so you know,
just like smoking, it. You know, while while we do
(41:18):
have some minor patients that qualify for a card, they
cannot smoke the flower, right, they can smoke, they can
use a vape, and so you know, it is concerning
we educate, you know, that is the most important thing
(41:38):
we do. They see the doctor, they talk to them,
they qualify, but they will spend in my clinic a
minimum of thirty minutes. And so whatever it takes, and
especially a minor, to talk with their parents and talk
with them about the possible side effects and they and
that's another concern. Right, if we go to two years
of not having to see a doctor, how are we
(42:01):
monitoring the efficacy and whether or not they're.
Speaker 3 (42:05):
Having adverse effects.
Speaker 4 (42:07):
I don't think we touched on that much, but there
is the bill out there that they only see the doctor.
Speaker 1 (42:12):
With tears, and that's there in Florida.
Speaker 3 (42:14):
That is here in Florida. Absolutely. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (42:18):
Yeah, And if I could just add to that, right,
is the very first if we go to two years.
I know we're getting a little off topic there, but
if we go to two years, the very first question asked,
is the patient pregnant?
Speaker 3 (42:31):
Really? Yes, So when we put it.
Speaker 1 (42:35):
I'm just joking. Very that's a very valid question.
Speaker 4 (42:43):
Right, absolutely, because if you say yes, as you should,
if they are or planning to be, then they can
only have low THHC dispensed.
Speaker 3 (42:53):
But you would not know if we if we went
to a two year.
Speaker 4 (42:57):
In my opinion, you could not call that a medical
program because you're not seeing the doctor.
Speaker 1 (43:03):
But every tears interest. So well, thank you for that, Chanell.
Let's talk about it on the national level on what
you're seeing.
Speaker 2 (43:11):
Yeah, So, first of all, love that Carly mentioned. Like
with Mary, these conversations are so important because we really
can get down to kind of facts of things, and
one of the things that Carlin mentioned was really kind
of the right framing of these instances. It's incredibly important
to talk honestly about public health impacts of cannabis, good
(43:33):
and bad. But one thing we find is that the
media often sensationalizes these conversations by using words like overdose
when we know that cannabis does not cause death right
of cannabis overconsumption, it certainly is something that we want
to avoid at all costs. That's not to say that
we want to have children have access at all, but
(43:54):
it is important to frame the harm here versus you know,
using kind of overdose language. But the media will continue
to be the media. So that's why it's important for
us to have really conversations based in fact around these pieces.
And I think that we didn't talk too much about HEMP,
and I won't go into it. We're in very deep detail,
(44:18):
but I do think it's important for people to understand
that while all of this was happening with state medical programs,
like I mentioned earlier in our discussion, back in twenty eighteen,
in order to allow HEMP, which has amazing abilities to
provide things to us, like CBD and other non intoxicating
(44:39):
cannabinoids like for medical purposes, there was an act called
the Farm Bill that was passed that allowed and the
purpose was to allow CBD and other non intoxicating cannabinoids
like CBG to be available to patients. And I started
seeing it around twenty twenty one or so, when this
(45:04):
loophole started to be really readily exploited, where the limits
on THHC people decided that they didn't apply to THHCA,
which is the inactive THHC, which has the same effect
as THCHC when it's lit right, and that is when
people really started to see these hemp shops pop up
(45:25):
in all of the different states.
Speaker 1 (45:27):
That they're all over, Florida, everywhere.
Speaker 2 (45:32):
Right. There are some states that actually quickly ban that
where you don't see that happening, or some states like
New York that folded it into their medical program to
prevent it. But as you mentioned, in states that did
not do that, like Florida, you really see a proliferation
of these shops that are that are selling intoxicating products.
Speaker 3 (45:54):
Right.
Speaker 2 (45:54):
These products are just as intoxicating as the products that
you see in the dispensary. Right. Like Carla mentioned, they
do not have the prohibition against having things that look
like they could be attractive to children, right, or having
so and and and there also is a much less
(46:14):
of a standard when it goes to checking IDs and
other things in those locations. And I won't speak for
all of them, but certainly they provide a stronger access
point than a state sanctioned and licensed cannabis medical or
adult use dispensary, which if you've ever been in one
of those, is incredibly tight when it comes down to
checking IDs and making sure that people are over age, right,
(46:38):
And so it is not surprising to me with essentially
what we call within the industry, like the legalization of
cannabis through hem that we would but but in a
way that wasn't regulated at all, that we would end
up seeing more instances of access by children. Right. And
one of the other really important points is that when
(46:59):
you have something like hemp that comes and is readily
available without safeguards and regulation around it, you don't have
the requirements of education that do exist. So, for example,
in almost every single adult you state where it has
been legalized, there is a component that requires public education.
(47:21):
So when for example, in Colorado first legalized, or in
Massachusetts first legalized, you would see public advertisements about keeping
cannabis away from children, about how it's helping to instruct
the community and be aware of these things. Right. So
that's what Mary does here in Florida exactly. So you
can see that. Yeah. So when the process, when you're
(47:44):
talking about regulated cannabis, right, you often see that there
is the education corollary that doesn't exist. And when you
do have that education, you reduce incidents so such as these.
Speaker 1 (47:57):
Yeah, and that goes right back to what I mentioned
earlier that may has been actively engaging with families and
programs that youth attend to make sure that they understand
Florida's cannabis laws.
Speaker 2 (48:12):
And Mary is having to do extra work, right because
not only are you having to educate on the medical
side of things, Oh yeah, the illicit side, right exactly,
and an illicit side that is essentially legal because of him. Right,
So it starts to be really interesting. And when you
see that programs that are more comprehensive, that are a
(48:34):
medical and adult youth program, you know, HEMP is still
competing with that, but at least there is that education present,
which you know, I'm sure Mary will be involved in
all of the education in Florida, but it is such
an important piece of things because without that, people are
really left to wonder how to properly approach things.
Speaker 1 (48:53):
Yeah, well, this is such a rich conversation. Oh, Carlin,
did you want to add to.
Speaker 3 (48:57):
That, because there is a new thing, right, the THC beverages.
Speaker 4 (49:04):
So you have the and they can have up to
ten milligrams in a sixteen ounce Oh yes, THC HEMP
beverages is now uh you know the we talked about
big pharma, Well big alcohol is now part of that.
So there was a big push last year. You know,
(49:27):
we had a bill that the governor vetoed that would
have banned and you know, the synthetics back to the
HEMP that we didn't want to get all into because
but it is applicable absolutely, because that did just get added.
You know, I watched the bills every day. I got
notification they did add that.
Speaker 3 (49:49):
To the.
Speaker 4 (49:51):
HEMP man out there the bill that's out there again,
or I'm sorry, the open container because you are driving,
you know, with a THC.
Speaker 3 (50:05):
Drink. So that's that's a big concern.
Speaker 4 (50:09):
You know, there's again it's not that there's so much
in it, you know, ten milligrams, but to a new user,
to a child or a teenager who is thinking, oh,
let me you know, this isn't real alcohol.
Speaker 3 (50:22):
It's not alcohol.
Speaker 4 (50:23):
Let me just drink that. I'm doing better than drinking alcohol.
It still has seeing it.
Speaker 2 (50:29):
Just like alcohol, the cannabis affects people differently based on
your biology. Right. You can have people where ten milligrams
you know, lays them flat out for a day or so,
and another person who takes it and they don't, you know,
there's not much of an effect there. And circling back
just I know I'm closing out, but the conversation that
we had upon the repeal of initiatives in different states,
(50:52):
one of the things that we kind of touched on
that didn't put a fine point on was the repeal
of HEMP that is coming at the end of this year, right,
So if we want to talk about the impact that
that's going to have on patients, you know, there's it's
kind of a double edged sword, right. On one one hand,
we talked about all of the potential harms that have
(51:13):
come from him by not having the regulation there and
having it more accessible to children and whatnot. On the
other hand, there are many people and patients that don't
have access at all in certain states that did see
access for the first time through HEMP that do have
patients that are relying on that, and in December, if
that goes and rolls all the way back, those patients
(51:35):
are going to be left, no pun intended, high and
dry without access to their medicine. And so it's very
like we mentioned before, talking about being at a crossroads
not just from the federal and the state level, but
also with HEMP in the mix and that being available
to people of these last couple of years and then
being pulled back. So it'll be very interesting to see
(51:56):
what patient groups and you know what folks that on
the youth side that we're utilizing that maybe instead of
drinking alcohol or other things like that. That really now,
are you know, wanting that sort of reasonable some sort
of reasonable access if that will translate into more state
programs going forward in states that don't yet have them,
(52:18):
or you know what what people will do when that happens.
Speaker 1 (52:22):
Wow, Well, we have certainly covered the state of cannabis
in Florida. We certainly, I mean, we covered a lot
and I want to thank both of you for being
guests on this Conversation on Cannabis virtual form brought to
you by the Medical Marijuana Education and Research Initiative at
(52:43):
Florida and M University. Thank you to everyone watching this program.
Tell us what you think about this form by completing
the survey that will be posted in the comment boxes
on Mary's social media pages. If you complete the survey,
your name will be entered into a drawing in February
twenty twenty six to win a one hundred dollars gift
card provided by one of Mary's partners. We also want
(53:06):
to encourage you to go to the Florida Department of
Health Office of Medical Marijuana Use website to learn how
to obtain a legal medical marijuana card in the state
of Florida. We also encourage you to go to Florida
and University's Merry website to learn more about this initiative,
it's educational programs, and about cannabis use in Florida. Thanks everyone.
(53:31):
The views and opinions of our invited guests are not
necessarily the views and opinions of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical
University or the Medical Marijuana Education and Research Initiative
From the WA and M Studio on the campus of
Florida A and M University.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
This is Mary Forum Radio, a weekly conversation on the
education and research of the medical marijuana being conducted at
THEM Union.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Hi. I'm Heidi Outway, your host for this conversations on
Cannabis virtual form, brought to you by the Medical Marijuana
Education and Research Initiative at Florida and M University. In
this conversation, we're talking about the state of cannabis in
Florida and across the nation, including new and proposed changes
(00:34):
to marijuana laws. So let's talk and learn about this
subject with our guests. Carla Ashburn has been working within
Florida's cannabis industry for nearly a decade. She is the
founder of Medical Marijuana Care of Florida, where she mentors
and assists physicians who want to work within the state's
(00:54):
cannabis industry. Carla, Welcome to the Forum. Tell us more
about yourself.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
Thanks him.
Speaker 4 (01:00):
I'm very pleased to be here and thank you for
the opportunity.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
So yeah, you summed it up.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
I had an opportunity many years ago to get into
the industry and what I found was the first thing
I needed to do was bridge the gap, right, because
even the physicians who thought that they knew or wanted
to get into the industry didn't know anything about cannabis.
And I had spent a year while I was still
(01:27):
keeping my day job to make sure that I believed
in it right. And so that is how my journey started,
was helping physicians. And I still do do that, but
I also have two clinics and have roughly thirty five
hundred patients in the state.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
So yeah, that's that's it. In a nutshell. I could
go on, but I.
Speaker 4 (01:53):
Spent a lot of time during legislative session so that
I am able to educate my patients because you know,
an educated patient and educated individual wanting to see if
cannabis is right for their health regiment easy to be educated.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
And then an educated individual.
Speaker 4 (02:14):
You know, my motto is let us help you in
your path too with that is Mmcare's motto. And then
in the education, and you know, that's how we get there.
And then educated people can make better, educated decisions about
their health, and then they can be educated voters when
it comes down to, hey, how can my voice be heard?
(02:36):
I want to be part of this. I want to understand.
Speaker 3 (02:39):
So that's it.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Our other guest is Chanelle Lindsay, an attorney, entrepreneur, and
cannabis policy expert.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
She is the.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Founder and entrepreneurship director of the Parabola Center for Law
and Policy. Chanel, Welcome to the forum. Tell us more
about yourself.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
Thank you, Heidi, Thank you you for having me. As
you mentioned, I'm an attorney and over twenty years ago,
and I was studying to become an attorney at the
same time, I got introduced to the idea of using
medical cannabis to treat a serious health condition that I
had at that time, ovari insist I got after I
(03:18):
my son was born. And so over these last two decades,
I have been educating people and developing a technology that
helps medical cannabis patients utilize the products better. And at
the same time, I've been working on the policy side
of things to bring policy forward that helps people rather
(03:40):
than corporations when it comes down to the legalization of
medical and adult use cannabis. And so, as you mentioned now,
I'm one of the co founders of the Parabala Center
for Law and Policy, and we work both nationally and
internationally to make sure that any cannabis that does come
(04:01):
to light is one that focuses on public health, public safety,
access for patients, and small businesses over big monopolies.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Okay, well, thank you both for participating in this forum.
I'm really looking forward to this conversation. To everyone watching,
please share the link to this form on your social
media channels so others can learn about this topic. We
also want you to tell us what you think about
this form by completing the survey that will be posted
on Mary's social media pages. Your name will be entered
(04:33):
into a drawing in February twenty twenty six to win
a one hundred dollars gift card provided by one of
Mary's partners. Now let's start this conversation on cannabis. So
late last year, the President signed an executive order directoring
federal agencies to accelerate the process of rescheduling cannabis under
(04:55):
federal law. So, Chanel, I'm gonna start with you. Can
you tell our listeners and viewers what is rescheduling?
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Heidi, I'd love to. And in order for us to
understand really what's happening here, it's important to give a
little bit of background on the legal status of patus
and what the framework looks like right now. So for
people should understand that cannabis wasn't illegal in this country
until nineteen thirty seven. It became illegal and then that
(05:26):
was codified into law in nineteen seventy with the Controlled
Substances Act. Cannabis was placed on the Controlled Substances Act
in Schedule one, which is the highest schedule, which is
considered no medical value at all. And it's the same
schedule where you see things like heroin and other drugs
(05:47):
that are considered harmful to society really. And so at
that point, with the federal illegality, that means that anything
that we see right now as far as legalization for
medical and recreational programs arose within that particular state. So,
starting in nineteen ninety six in California, state started legalizing
(06:10):
programs for medical use and then moved on to adult
use programs. And it's usually a pretty predictable pattern of
decriminalization then moving to medical, then moving to adult use. Now,
currently we have over forty states that have some sort
(06:30):
of medical program. We have twenty four states plus the
District of Columbia and some of our territories that have
adult use programs despite it being federally illegal. We have
quite a bit of cannabis that is in our country
at this point. That makes this move of rescheduling now
(06:53):
moving from Schedule one to Schedule three, which was actually
something that was introduced under Joe Biden said that he
was going to do that. But it when when a
president says something, there is are things that need to
happen after that for it to actually become reality. And
so now here we are again at this point with
(07:15):
the executive order that was signed last year that gave
a direction to speed up that process to move from
Schedule one to Schedule three. And so what that would
mean is that now instead of being in the highest
schedule where it's very restricted when it comes to even
research that can be done in academic institutions which obviously
(07:37):
be aware of those kind of restrictions as well, which
is that basically we've been kept from being able to
utilize cannabis and be in a safe place on the
federal side. And so moving it to Schedule three is
a move that would keep it within the Controlled Substances Act,
(07:58):
but fit into a schedule that would allow pharmaceutical research,
would have allowed general research but frankly, there are big
questions about what that move would mean to the state programs,
and it's important for folks to understand that we live
in a union, right, a state of the Union, with
(08:20):
all of the different states coming together under one union.
And what that means is that when the government decides
that something is federally that they're going to federally regulate it,
that can have big impacts on what the states have
done individually. It's kind of the same reason why one
state can't have a rule against somebody in a different
(08:42):
state have different rules, And what we have in our
state system is lots of different patchwork of state programs
that have been building on their own, but when Schedule
three comes into play, it may offend those programs.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
Right.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
There are big questions about what's scared Edule three will mean,
and no one really has the answers to those questions yet.
But there are concerns when it comes to the state
programs about when federal legalization comes, things like equity programs
that exists in the state, things like residency requirements for ownership,
(09:18):
those things may be invalidated if the federal legalization isn't
approached in a certain way, and it's certainly putting. People
are watching very closely about what is going to happen
and how that rescheduling is going to roll out. So
we know that rescheduling has been made a priority by
(09:39):
the administration, but the big question mark is how that
rescheduling process will go, what the regulations around that will
come out from the FDA around that and the DEA
when it comes down to how people can manage and
handle cannabis, and whether those rules are going to conflict
with the rules and the programs that we've seen in
(09:59):
these the programs, many of which have existed for you know,
a decade or more at this point.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
Yeah, Well, my understanding is that there is a process
too rescheduling, and you kind of talk to it. You know,
there's you know, the President Trump made the order, so
now you know his administration has to make it happen.
So Carla, can you touch a little bit on what
that process would look like, even though there's a lot
of uncertainties here from what I'm here in say.
Speaker 4 (10:28):
Yeah, and there is a lot of uncertainty, and I
may have missed it from Chanel, but one of the
other things that it does add is that it shows
that she did mention. You know, it was on there
with heroin n LST. But it now says there that
there is medicinal value. That's what Schedule three says. Yes,
it opens it up for research, but the fact that
(10:50):
it putting you know, now moving to A three says
that it's not highly addictive, that there is medicinal value.
Speaker 3 (10:59):
So I just wanted to throw that in there. And
I may have.
Speaker 4 (11:00):
Missed it Chanel, but but I thought that was worth
noting again. And then so where does that start. It's
all over the board, right, Uh. It could take quite
some time to build that frame legal framework.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
And it does leave.
Speaker 4 (11:19):
A lot of questions open because now that you are
saying it's some medicine, which we all know it is,
we do uh, you know, then it goes back to Okay,
every other Schedule three drag has to be you have
to you have to be under doctor's care, and you
(11:41):
have to be seen every ninety days, so that whether
or not you know how the efficacy of that medicine is.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
So we want to keep that in mind.
Speaker 4 (11:52):
And I think one of the most important things is
people a lot of people do not understand the legal
side and they think that they just turned and there
it is, it's already in place, and it's not and
it can take quite a few years.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
And so we have.
Speaker 4 (12:09):
Yeah, the executive order was say, you know, let's push
us forward, let's get this going quickly. And those of
us that know and understand law not a liar. But
nothing happens quickly legally because it has to be done properly.
So in my opinion, nothing changes here in Florida. Yet,
(12:33):
you know that the fact that it was rescheduled is
a good thing. However, we do have another avenue that
I think we're going to touch on, and I'm not
sure if we're ready to go there yet.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
Yeah. I wanted to do a follow up question with
Chanelle because if cannabis marijuana is moved to a Schedule three,
that opens it up for more research because currently, under
Schedule one, you can't do research cannabis research in the US.
So can you talk a little bit about how this
could open up research opportunities if it were to move
(13:09):
to a Schedule three.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
Absolutely, And Carla touched on it, which is that the
big win of Schedule three is that it opens up
for research, right, and probably probably one of the few
wins when it comes down to clarity and making sure
that state programs are protected, right. And the other thing
that Carlo said that was spawn on, which is that
it needs to be done properly, and there's big questions
(13:33):
about how this is going to roll out right. And
when we say properly, there are, as we know in
our nation, when we look at kind of the economics
of things, when you have a new industry that's opening up,
that has the opportunity for a lot of profit, you
certainly have kind of proven bad actors waiting to enter
(13:54):
into that marketplace. And those folks that I'm talking about
are kind of like big to bacco, big alcohol. And
there are certainly concerns about whether it's moved to Schedule
three without specific protections being put into the law to
protect state programs to allow state medical marijuana programs and
(14:15):
adult use programs to continue as they are, then there
will be certainly a big upending of what already is
in place that could position the industry much more towards
pharmaceuticals right and big pharma versus allowing for the type
(14:36):
of access that patients have had to medicines and products
that work really well for them that aren't necessary, that
aren't pharmaceuticals, right, So that is a big concern about,
as Carla mentioned, kind of restricting access to patients or
making additional hurdles for patients that do require things like
prescriptions or do require things like DEA licenses from producers
(15:00):
who may never have the ability to reach those standards,
but who we know are clearly helping people through medical
programs now, and so that is a big concern. So
that kind of is the counterpoint to the great news,
which is that it would allow research, but there are
other avenues that would allow research that aren't moving it
(15:23):
to Schedule three and keeping it within this more pharmaceutical
structure is more ripe to be taken over by big business, which,
as we see from big alcohol, big tobacco, and big pharma,
that does not lead to better health outcomes for us
as a community.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
Yeah, Carl, did you want to add to that before
we go to our next topic.
Speaker 3 (15:46):
No, I think we both covered it pretty well. Great, Okay,
you have a question.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
So we when we were preparing for this conversation, you
all mentioned the topic that we have been discussed on
this form. So I'm really excited to dig into this,
tell us about de scheduling, which is another option to rescheduling.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
Was Shanaga, I think you were going to start with that.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Yes, sorry about our flow. Yes, So, as we mentioned before,
back before nineteen thirty seven, cannabis was used widely for
medical purposes. It was not on any schedule. It wasn't
it wasn't controlled in the way that it is now.
(16:34):
And so as I mentioned, when the Controlled Substances app
came into play in nineteen seventy and cannabis was placed
on Schedule one, I think it's important for us to
remember that that wasn't the only option. Cannabis didn't have
to go on any schedule, And so there is and
for a long time within the medical cannabis community and
(16:56):
adult use community, there has been a push to not
re schedule, but to deschedule right, and rescheduling has always
been seen within the community as something that we you know,
that not many people were actually pushing for. In fact,
descheduling is really what the hope is from the cannabis community, right,
(17:18):
which is removing it completely from the Controlled Substances Act
so that it can be more widely available under state
programs and the states could be free to enact programs
without fearing federal prosecution. Because let's remember when state programs
first started coming online, they were very worried about, and
(17:38):
even patients were worried about, and even patients still now
are worried about, you know, federal intervention of doing something
that's illegal. So de scheduling is certainly another option that
still exists that could still happen if they're if Congress
was to make that move.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
Yeah, and I guess to Carlos point, if they were
to pursue it, is it safe to say it'll take
some time?
Speaker 4 (18:04):
Carl absolutely, absolutely, because that in itself, you know, brings
on a lot a lot of other things that Chanel
already mentioned. And the scheduling also does not always mean decriminalization, right,
so people need to keep that in mind too.
Speaker 3 (18:25):
Well.
Speaker 4 (18:25):
Sounds it is a better option, but it still comes
with its legalities that will have to be worked out.
And I think, if you don't mind, I want it's
something I remembered about the reclassification that is that can
be concerning, is that so now you can't they cannot
(18:48):
drug test federal employees for cannabis, And and there's a concern,
you know, and we're talking pilots and you know, just
and just think of all the people, so you.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
Have a safety sensitive rules. As my understanding, they have
to test for that. They test those individuals.
Speaker 4 (19:09):
Right, And you can correct me if I'm wrong now,
but that was my understanding is that they as a
schedule three can they.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
I think it would depend on what the regulations say
about certain levels of jobs. But I'm not more I'm
not well versed enough to speak on that piece right now.
I believe it's one of the pieces that are up
in the air about what this will mean. And I
think that all of the conversations we're having today really show,
(19:41):
you know, what kind of quagmire can ensue when you
have you know, such a for such a long time,
the dissonance between what's happening on state level and what's
happening on the federal level. And when a federal now
comes in and tries to assert or makes that move,
(20:01):
what does that mean for people that now you know,
industries that exist right and patients that are heavily reliant.
And we also didn't talk about how kind of this
is further muddied by the fact that Hemp and kind
of THHCA products over these last years have become readily
(20:23):
available under the loophole on the farm bill, right, and
so that has added a lot of which is closing
at the end of this year too. So it's very
interesting that all of these things are essentially happening at
the same time, right, which is this push to move
to Schedule three and at the same time HEMP starting
(20:43):
to be you know, on the schedule to be restricted
in December of this year, and many people losing access
to those products, which you know, people feel you know,
there are people on both sides of the fence about
you know, access under him.
Speaker 1 (21:02):
Yeah, yeah, fascinating. I mean, it just sounds like so
much And I'm glad you all brought this up because
that's a topic that we really hadn't dug in on,
was the descheduling, and then you guys added some more
context around rescheduling. So thank you all for sharing that.
(21:23):
I want to kind of shift a little bit to
where we're seeing multiple states are actively considering or they're
either considering or actively repealing legal recreational use. Chanelle, can
you talk about where this is happening and what has
(21:44):
prompted those actions from those states.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
Yeah, so I'll kind of talk about it in two
separate pieces here. First is the kind of the trends
around like adult use cannabis that we've seen in the
last couple of years, which in the beginning, there was
a lot of progress around both medical and adult use initiatives.
(22:08):
There were many many years where we were as the
cannabis community kind of winning those initiatives and you saw
the large spread of adult use and medical to the
point where, like I mentioned, we're at forty four medical
and nearly half of states for adult use. But in
the last couple of years, we've seen trends starting to
(22:29):
go the other way, which is valid initiatives that have
been failing to move the needle for adult use, including
in Florida, also in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Oklahoma
as well. Those were all losses in twenty twenty four,
so those were very recent and so I think that's
(22:51):
part of this larger trend of a little bit of
pushback that we're seeing within the nation when it comes
down to cannabis legislation there. And I think that the
latest piece is going even further, which is attempts to
repeal state initiatives that have already been in place, and
(23:14):
so this year there are three states that have groups
within them that are moving to try to repeal in
some way. None of them have been successful yet, but
the Massachusetts initiative is one that is funded by an
anti cannabis group that has that was against both are
(23:39):
medical and our adult use push in Massachusetts. So it's
that same group that is funding now this ballot initiative
to repeal. And when I say to ballot initiatives, I
think it makes sense to mention too that almost all
cannabis initiatives up until this point have been based on voters,
(24:00):
citizens coming together and creating what's called a ballot initiative
or constitutional amendment initiative and putting that forward to voters,
rather than it happening through the legislature right how laws
are usually made. There have only been two states that
have done it through legislative process, sorry three Vermont was
(24:20):
the first, then Illinois, and then Virginia. So those the
only legislatures that have come and done a legalization measure.
Other than that, it's been valid initiative, so it's largely
been pushed by communities and people and frankly patients and
people that want more sensible policies and don't want people
to be arrested anymore for consuming cannabis. Right, these repeal initiatives,
(24:46):
so for example, in Massachusetts, that is the only one
that has been certified to move forward on the ballot.
The other two one of in Maine and the other
one is in Arizona, and we are still waiting on
the those two to see whether or not they will
have enough signatures to move forward to get on the bout.
That's how the ballot initiative works. Write it. They have
(25:08):
to get enough signatures to get it onto the ballot,
and the Attorney General usually approves that or support if there's
a fight about whether it should be on the ballot,
and then voters vote for it. So, just like the
ballid initiatives to legalize, these ballot initiatives to repeal need
to get enough votes in order to make that a reality.
(25:30):
So yeah, so we're watching those very closely. But it
is part of a larger trend of kind of pushback
against cannabis initiatives. Even though the folks that are behind
these repeal initiatives are pretty much the same prohibitionist actors
that we've seen from the beginning that have been against it,
(25:53):
but it is an opportunity. You know, this is a
you know, social experiment of sorts, right, we're coming when
we're dealing with people that care about these things and
using our legal system in order to make movement. And
so we're seeing this again through these repeal initiatives.
Speaker 1 (26:14):
In Florida is a little bit of a story when
it comes to policies that are taking place in Carla,
I wanted to kind of have you talk about some
of the policies that we're seeing in Florida to make
some adjustments for our legal medical marijuana use laws because
we do not in Florida a lot of recreational use,
(26:35):
as you mentioned earlier chanellet Field the ballot. So Carla,
can you give us a little snapshot of what's happening
in Florida when it comes to canvas policy and use.
Speaker 3 (26:43):
Sure, I'd be glad to thank you. We have.
Speaker 4 (26:47):
This year's is quite has quite a few goals that
are centered around medical marijuana, and one though I wanted
to mention that did pass last year just recently was convictions.
Speaker 3 (27:01):
So if you've had a conviction of.
Speaker 4 (27:05):
You know, trafficking or possession over the limit, any anything
that is still considered legal.
Speaker 3 (27:12):
While there was uh you know, I.
Speaker 4 (27:15):
Have I had plenty of probation officers that would send
you know, people to my clinic.
Speaker 3 (27:21):
Uh, that is no longer.
Speaker 4 (27:23):
If you have a conviction, or even if you are
in the middle of and have not been you know,
convicted yet, you automatically lose.
Speaker 3 (27:31):
Your medical marijuana card.
Speaker 4 (27:34):
And that's important because you know that the confusion is
it was not like that, so people thought they were
doing the right thing. And I don't I think that's
such an important message we need to get out there
because what what you do, still have the ability once
you have completed you know, all your court uh mandates,
(27:57):
and you.
Speaker 3 (27:59):
Can't apply to get it again.
Speaker 4 (28:03):
But it's still that that's not real clear, you know
as to I'm sure it would be an individual basis,
but there is still the opportunity to be able to
get it back. But if you have violated the laws,
you know, trafficking over possession for better.
Speaker 3 (28:20):
Word of using.
Speaker 4 (28:22):
But that's an important one that people need to know
because it has already passed and there is no notification.
It is automatic. We don't even know at the clinic,
the doctor. We don't even get notified, so it is
up to the individual to watch that if they know.
Speaker 3 (28:41):
So that was one that's already passed. This year. We're
looking at quite a few bills.
Speaker 4 (28:49):
You know, we have smoking in public, so it's not
while it's a cannabis and this bill it we in
the state of Florida, we have a we're a smoke
free state. That's what we want, you know, that's what
we We care about the health of our people. So
(29:10):
it's not it just is an addendum if in my opinion,
it's an addendum to stick a stain with what you know,
wanting to be. It's not just about cannabis. It's about
smoke free Florida. So that's one that's out there. Another
one is open container, which has always been you know,
(29:32):
you go to the dispensary, you pick up your medicine,
and you take it home. So the open container is
any container that any seal that has been broken is
considered a container, even in a parked car. Is what
the build This has not obviously is not all played
(29:53):
out yet and we don't know the the end result.
But open containers a container, right, you know, you shouldn't.
The implication is that you're driving impaired. You know, why
would why would you have an open container? So that
is important as well. We have the we do have
(30:14):
a recreational We have a recreational ballot initiative going on
right now. We have enough signatures for it to get
on the ballot, except that that has been challenged and
we don't have to go and all that. But they
have thrown out quite a few of the signatures because
(30:36):
they were invalid. So we do anticipate that it will
get on get on the ballot. But in that form
it's you know, twenty one adult use, twenty one years
old adult use, but it does not include in that
one homegrown.
Speaker 3 (30:58):
So it's just.
Speaker 4 (31:00):
The being able and then the m MTC is becoming recreational.
Speaker 3 (31:07):
It failed last year.
Speaker 4 (31:10):
With well another wait and see, but again I still
feel you know, last year, we did a lot of
educating to our patients. You need to understand what's in
the bill before you go vote, you know, and that's
where the education is so important. Conversations are so important.
We do have there is an employee protection bill out
(31:32):
there that we're looking at and watching and and it
you know, it's it's kind of murky waters too, right,
because it is hard to nail down you know, what
impairment is to each individual because cannabis is different with
(31:56):
every every person. You know your metabolism, your diet for
other medications. So while it's difficult, you know, if somebody
only uses at night, are they impaired the next day?
So it's going to be that's going to be another
interesting one to see because uh, employers have the right
to a drug free workplace. So then there is another
(32:21):
bill that's for printal rights during custody cases. And I've
actually had some patients that we had to deal with
that and provide documentation.
Speaker 3 (32:32):
To show you know that.
Speaker 4 (32:36):
You know what they're medically why they're medically using it. So, yeah,
there's a lot of a lot of stuff out there
this year going on, and you know a lot of
it is protections for for and I think that's a
misconception people have too, is if it goes recreational, they
(32:59):
don't fall under those protections, you know, the protections of
the bills that I'm talking about, or for medical.
Speaker 1 (33:05):
Patients, right, because that's what le in Florida's right, right.
Speaker 4 (33:10):
But again, if they vote for recreational Do they understand
that they lose these rights that we fight for for
the medical patient and just you know Chanel had touched
on it too.
Speaker 3 (33:24):
As veterans, you know, they were very.
Speaker 4 (33:27):
Very leary for many years to get a card because
they thought that they would lose their benefits, which they
would have twenty eighteen November twenty eighteen was when Florida
said they would not lose their benefits. So, you know,
conversations with Mary is so important because we've got to
(33:48):
get that education out there.
Speaker 3 (33:50):
We've got to.
Speaker 1 (33:51):
Yeah, thank you. Now, did you want to add to that?
I know you work all over the country. Was there
anything else you wanted to add or did Carla cover everything?
Speaker 3 (34:00):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (34:00):
Carla as always made there. And when we're thinking about
most importantly about like protections that need to be placed
within the laws around in the states, for parental rights,
for employment rights and other things like that, those things
don't automatically come. And frankly, those things usually when when
(34:21):
an adult use program comes, it usually takes court cases
in order to protect people's rights. And that's what happened
in Massachusetts. After legalization, we were able to get some
of these things and family protections in our bill because
we didn't have those protections on as enough protections on
(34:42):
the medical side and wanted to correct some of those.
And that's what I would say that like, sometimes sometimes
an adult use bill is structured, an amendment is structured
in a way that you know, benefits corporate interests. And
then sometimes there's bills that are structured in a way
that really focus on public health and protecting the community
(35:04):
and protecting people. And part of those protecting people is
protecting their individual rights to use you know, in family
court matters, in job protection and other things as well.
And you'll see those things kind of tested out within
the court afterwards, making protections for people where they may
not have existed. But that's unfortunate for folks that they
(35:25):
have to go through a situation that pulls them in
court and that everybody else has to kind of wait,
like Carlo is saying, with veterans who may not be
losing their benefits, but may lose access to certain medicines
when the federal government finds out that they are using cannabis. Right,
So how fair is it for a veteran who needs
opioids not to now has to choose between cannabis or
(35:46):
opioids when both of them together could be helping that person, right,
and really it should be a doctor potentially deciding what's
best for that veteran. So there are really big challenges,
like we mentioned that really do go back to this
conflict between the state and the federal government. And now
we're at this crossroads in America where we are looking
(36:08):
to see what will happen and how that will resolve.
And there are I think opportunities to try to use
our voices to make sure that these things are going
the way that we'd like them to go, but certainly
big question marks about what's next.
Speaker 1 (36:25):
Yeah, yeah, Well you all both hit two words that
kind of segue into the next topic that I wanted
to kind of close with, and that is, you know,
education and protection. Those are the words I heard you
all you mentioned in your comments just now, and so
I wanted to just kind of highlight that here in Florida,
Mary has been focusing on educating the public about holistic
(36:46):
recreational use and really spending a lot of time in
communities across the state to inform Floridians about the risk
it poses to children and teens and so I want
to share some headlines that we've seen here in Florida.
So like in Marion County, there were three students who
were hospitalized after consuming cannabis in their middle school. And
(37:09):
then when you look nationally, you know, we had teens
in Texas that resold THHC gummies that cause overdose like
symptoms at a graduation party. So we're seeing, you know,
more of these kinds of headlines, and I just want
to talk a little bit about this when it comes
to these patterns of youth exposure and use of illegal cannabis.
(37:33):
So Carla, I'm going to come to you and then
Chanelle have you kind of round out on the national front.
But Carla, let's talk about Florida.
Speaker 4 (37:43):
Obviously it's not you know, just in Florida, but when
they have access, when the parents have access to medical cannabis,
you know, again, it goes back to the word conversations,
which I love. I kind of have a conversations Matter
hashtagged to my because they matter, and they it needs
(38:06):
to be treated like any other medicine in the home,
and it does not need to be hidden. It needs
to be talked about and it needs to be you know,
explained this is an adult medicine. You know the fact
that the packaging has changed to completely white, you know,
and it does have the thhc uh stamp.
Speaker 3 (38:27):
If you will on there.
Speaker 4 (38:29):
You have to explain to them th hc means it's
an adult medicine and it's not a one time conversation.
It's you know, and you can even they should even
explain how it helps and that it's not for children
or teenagers. Now we know that teenagers are always going
to try try different things, but it's still it does
(38:55):
you know it is the parents responsibility to keep it
locked up, to explain what it is and keep it
out of hands.
Speaker 3 (39:03):
There is a rise. I agree.
Speaker 4 (39:07):
I've heard it, read it every day and some of
the concern is is it really is that coming from
the hemp side, you know, the where they can go
in and purchase it, you know, is it the synthetics
that they're getting that uh, you know when we dive
into the hemp hemp world and the van that is
(39:30):
coming up because you still have to have that conversation.
Even though you medically have a card, they need to
understand that, you know, they cannot off the streets. You know,
we had so many Yeah, they could be laced with
so many different things. So you know, is it the
(39:50):
illicit market they're getting are they getting it from their parents?
I think we need to find out, you know, first
where where's it come from?
Speaker 3 (39:59):
Because we do know.
Speaker 4 (40:00):
That all of USTI drugs are available anywhere, you know,
unfortunately they are. But you know, the low doses that
we have, like for our gummies at ten milligrams in
Florida shouldn't cause you know, they don't understand the cause
of the effect, right, especially with edibles. You know, everybody
(40:22):
metabolizes differently, so how long does it take to to
you know, become effective. And if they don't fill it
in the first hour, they take more and then that's
where you get to the over consumption is what we
call it. And so back to the vaping those well,
(40:43):
it's it's it's everywhere, and.
Speaker 3 (40:46):
You know it needs to.
Speaker 4 (40:49):
We need to be more have more conversations.
Speaker 3 (40:53):
We just we just do.
Speaker 4 (40:57):
And again I think we mentioned at the yeah, at
the teenage years, you know, we still are unclear the
development of the brain and what it can the damage
it can do. And vaping is more instant, so you know,
just like smoking, it. You know, while while we do
(41:18):
have some minor patients that qualify for a card, they
cannot smoke the flower, right, they can smoke, they can
use a vape, and so you know, it is concerning
we educate, you know, that is the most important thing
(41:38):
we do. They see the doctor, they talk to them,
they qualify, but they will spend in my clinic a
minimum of thirty minutes. And so whatever it takes, and
especially a minor, to talk with their parents and talk
with them about the possible side effects and they and
that's another concern. Right, if we go to two years
of not having to see a doctor, how are we
(42:01):
monitoring the efficacy and whether or not they're.
Speaker 3 (42:05):
Having adverse effects.
Speaker 4 (42:07):
I don't think we touched on that much, but there
is the bill out there that they only see the doctor.
Speaker 1 (42:12):
With tears, and that's there in Florida.
Speaker 3 (42:14):
That is here in Florida. Absolutely. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (42:18):
Yeah, And if I could just add to that, right,
is the very first if we go to two years.
I know we're getting a little off topic there, but
if we go to two years, the very first question asked,
is the patient pregnant?
Speaker 3 (42:31):
Really? Yes, So when we put it.
Speaker 1 (42:35):
I'm just joking. Very that's a very valid question.
Speaker 4 (42:43):
Right, absolutely, because if you say yes, as you should,
if they are or planning to be, then they can
only have low THHC dispensed.
Speaker 3 (42:53):
But you would not know if we if we went
to a two year.
Speaker 4 (42:57):
In my opinion, you could not call that a medical
program because you're not seeing the doctor.
Speaker 1 (43:03):
But every tears interest. So well, thank you for that, Chanell.
Let's talk about it on the national level on what
you're seeing.
Speaker 2 (43:11):
Yeah, So, first of all, love that Carly mentioned. Like
with Mary, these conversations are so important because we really
can get down to kind of facts of things, and
one of the things that Carlin mentioned was really kind
of the right framing of these instances. It's incredibly important
to talk honestly about public health impacts of cannabis, good
(43:33):
and bad. But one thing we find is that the
media often sensationalizes these conversations by using words like overdose
when we know that cannabis does not cause death right
of cannabis overconsumption, it certainly is something that we want
to avoid at all costs. That's not to say that
we want to have children have access at all, but
(43:54):
it is important to frame the harm here versus you know,
using kind of overdose language. But the media will continue
to be the media. So that's why it's important for
us to have really conversations based in fact around these pieces.
And I think that we didn't talk too much about HEMP,
and I won't go into it. We're in very deep detail,
(44:18):
but I do think it's important for people to understand
that while all of this was happening with state medical programs,
like I mentioned earlier in our discussion, back in twenty eighteen,
in order to allow HEMP, which has amazing abilities to
provide things to us, like CBD and other non intoxicating
(44:39):
cannabinoids like for medical purposes, there was an act called
the Farm Bill that was passed that allowed and the
purpose was to allow CBD and other non intoxicating cannabinoids
like CBG to be available to patients. And I started
seeing it around twenty twenty one or so, when this
(45:04):
loophole started to be really readily exploited, where the limits
on THHC people decided that they didn't apply to THHCA,
which is the inactive THHC, which has the same effect
as THCHC when it's lit right, and that is when
people really started to see these hemp shops pop up
(45:25):
in all of the different states.
Speaker 1 (45:27):
That they're all over, Florida, everywhere.
Speaker 2 (45:32):
Right. There are some states that actually quickly ban that
where you don't see that happening, or some states like
New York that folded it into their medical program to
prevent it. But as you mentioned, in states that did
not do that, like Florida, you really see a proliferation
of these shops that are that are selling intoxicating products.
Speaker 3 (45:54):
Right.
Speaker 2 (45:54):
These products are just as intoxicating as the products that
you see in the dispensary. Right. Like Carla mentioned, they
do not have the prohibition against having things that look
like they could be attractive to children, right, or having
so and and and there also is a much less
(46:14):
of a standard when it goes to checking IDs and
other things in those locations. And I won't speak for
all of them, but certainly they provide a stronger access
point than a state sanctioned and licensed cannabis medical or
adult use dispensary, which if you've ever been in one
of those, is incredibly tight when it comes down to
checking IDs and making sure that people are over age, right,
(46:38):
And so it is not surprising to me with essentially
what we call within the industry, like the legalization of
cannabis through hem that we would but but in a
way that wasn't regulated at all, that we would end
up seeing more instances of access by children. Right. And
one of the other really important points is that when
(46:59):
you have something like hemp that comes and is readily
available without safeguards and regulation around it, you don't have
the requirements of education that do exist. So, for example,
in almost every single adult you state where it has
been legalized, there is a component that requires public education.
(47:21):
So when for example, in Colorado first legalized, or in
Massachusetts first legalized, you would see public advertisements about keeping
cannabis away from children, about how it's helping to instruct
the community and be aware of these things. Right. So
that's what Mary does here in Florida exactly. So you
can see that. Yeah. So when the process, when you're
(47:44):
talking about regulated cannabis, right, you often see that there
is the education corollary that doesn't exist. And when you
do have that education, you reduce incidents so such as these.
Speaker 1 (47:57):
Yeah, and that goes right back to what I mentioned
earlier that may has been actively engaging with families and
programs that youth attend to make sure that they understand
Florida's cannabis laws.
Speaker 2 (48:12):
And Mary is having to do extra work, right because
not only are you having to educate on the medical
side of things, Oh yeah, the illicit side, right exactly,
and an illicit side that is essentially legal because of him. Right,
So it starts to be really interesting. And when you
see that programs that are more comprehensive, that are a
(48:34):
medical and adult youth program, you know, HEMP is still
competing with that, but at least there is that education present,
which you know, I'm sure Mary will be involved in
all of the education in Florida, but it is such
an important piece of things because without that, people are
really left to wonder how to properly approach things.
Speaker 1 (48:53):
Yeah, well, this is such a rich conversation. Oh, Carlin,
did you want to add to.
Speaker 3 (48:57):
That, because there is a new thing, right, the THC beverages.
Speaker 4 (49:04):
So you have the and they can have up to
ten milligrams in a sixteen ounce Oh yes, THC HEMP
beverages is now uh you know the we talked about
big pharma, Well big alcohol is now part of that.
So there was a big push last year. You know,
(49:27):
we had a bill that the governor vetoed that would
have banned and you know, the synthetics back to the
HEMP that we didn't want to get all into because
but it is applicable absolutely, because that did just get added.
You know, I watched the bills every day. I got
notification they did add that.
Speaker 3 (49:49):
To the.
Speaker 4 (49:51):
HEMP man out there the bill that's out there again,
or I'm sorry, the open container because you are driving,
you know, with a THC.
Speaker 3 (50:05):
Drink. So that's that's a big concern.
Speaker 4 (50:09):
You know, there's again it's not that there's so much
in it, you know, ten milligrams, but to a new user,
to a child or a teenager who is thinking, oh,
let me you know, this isn't real alcohol.
Speaker 3 (50:22):
It's not alcohol.
Speaker 4 (50:23):
Let me just drink that. I'm doing better than drinking alcohol.
It still has seeing it.
Speaker 2 (50:29):
Just like alcohol, the cannabis affects people differently based on
your biology. Right. You can have people where ten milligrams
you know, lays them flat out for a day or so,
and another person who takes it and they don't, you know,
there's not much of an effect there. And circling back
just I know I'm closing out, but the conversation that
we had upon the repeal of initiatives in different states,
(50:52):
one of the things that we kind of touched on
that didn't put a fine point on was the repeal
of HEMP that is coming at the end of this year, right,
So if we want to talk about the impact that
that's going to have on patients, you know, there's it's
kind of a double edged sword, right. On one one hand,
we talked about all of the potential harms that have
(51:13):
come from him by not having the regulation there and
having it more accessible to children and whatnot. On the
other hand, there are many people and patients that don't
have access at all in certain states that did see
access for the first time through HEMP that do have
patients that are relying on that, and in December, if
that goes and rolls all the way back, those patients
(51:35):
are going to be left, no pun intended, high and
dry without access to their medicine. And so it's very
like we mentioned before, talking about being at a crossroads
not just from the federal and the state level, but
also with HEMP in the mix and that being available
to people of these last couple of years and then
being pulled back. So it'll be very interesting to see
(51:56):
what patient groups and you know what folks that on
the youth side that we're utilizing that maybe instead of
drinking alcohol or other things like that. That really now,
are you know, wanting that sort of reasonable some sort
of reasonable access if that will translate into more state
programs going forward in states that don't yet have them,
(52:18):
or you know what what people will do when that happens.
Speaker 1 (52:22):
Wow, Well, we have certainly covered the state of cannabis
in Florida. We certainly, I mean, we covered a lot
and I want to thank both of you for being
guests on this Conversation on Cannabis virtual form brought to
you by the Medical Marijuana Education and Research Initiative at
(52:43):
Florida and M University. Thank you to everyone watching this program.
Tell us what you think about this form by completing
the survey that will be posted in the comment boxes
on Mary's social media pages. If you complete the survey,
your name will be entered into a drawing in February
twenty twenty six to win a one hundred dollars gift
card provided by one of Mary's partners. We also want
(53:06):
to encourage you to go to the Florida Department of
Health Office of Medical Marijuana Use website to learn how
to obtain a legal medical marijuana card in the state
of Florida. We also encourage you to go to Florida
and University's Merry website to learn more about this initiative,
it's educational programs, and about cannabis use in Florida. Thanks everyone.
(53:31):
The views and opinions of our invited guests are not
necessarily the views and opinions of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical
University or the Medical Marijuana Education and Research Initiative
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