Florida Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Waive Medical Marijuana Fee For Veterans

Florida Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Waive Medical Marijuana Fee For Veterans

A pair of Florida lawmakers want to make medical marijuana even cheaper for veterans. State Sen. Janet Cruz and state Rep. Adam Hattersley, both Democrats, have introduced a bill that would waive the registration fee for veterans seeking medical cannabis treatment. Patients in Florida must register for a new medical marijuana card each year, which costs $75 annually. “So it’s not a huge burden, but any small thing that we can do to help veterans get the treatment they deserve, I think we need to do,” Hattersley said, as quoted by public radio station WUSF. Hattersley is a Navy veteran who earned a Bronze Star for his service in the Iraq War who represents a growing chorus of military advocates and policymakers who believe in cannabis as a legitimate treatment option for service members suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Democratic presidential hopefuls like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren have publicly voiced support for allowing veterans to access medical marijuana. A paper published earlier this month in the Journal of Psychopharmacology offered further support for that movement, finding preliminary evidence “that cannabis use may contribute to reducing the association between post-traumatic stress disorder and severe depressive and suicidal states.” The authors…