HB 683 Summary: Florida Medical Marijuana Act

• Establishes a comprehensive medical marijuana program allowing qualified patients with specified conditions (cancer, HIV/AIDS, epilepsy, ALS, multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease, Parkinson's disease, or terminal illness) to purchase and possess medical-grade marijuana with physician certification and state registration.

• Creates three categories of licenses: cultivation and processing licenses (initial fee up to $100,000), retail licenses (initial fee up to $10,000), and testing laboratories; requires Department of Health to issue cultivation licenses by March 1, 2016 and retail licenses by July 1, 2016.

• Establishes an online patient registry by July 1, 2016 containing patient and caregiver information, physician orders, cannabinoid concentration ranges, and dispensing transaction records accessible to retail licensees and law enforcement.

• Requires all medical-grade marijuana to be tested by independent laboratories for contaminants and cannabinoid content before sale; mandates child-resistant packaging and labeling with cultivation/processing facility information and cannabinoid concentrations.

• Imposes criminal penalties for physicians ordering marijuana without reasonable belief patient has qualifying condition and for patients fraudulently representing medical conditions; prohibits driving under marijuana influence and use in schools, public transportation, and workplaces; clarifies health insurance is not required to cover marijuana costs.