Florida HB 719: Practice of Veterinary Medicine

Bill Text

HB 719 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb719-00
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to medical use of marijuana; amending 2
s. 381.986, F.S.; authorizing a patient prescribed 3
certain opioid drugs to qualify to receive marijuana 4
or a marijuana delivery device; requiring a qualified 5
physician to conduct an in-person or telehealth 6
examination before issuing or renewing a certification 7
to a patient; requiring a qualified physician to 8
submit certain documentation to the Board of Medicine 9
or the Board of Osteopathic Medicine, as applicable, 10
for patients prescribed certain opioid drugs; revising 11
supply limits a qualified physician may issue and the 12
frequency of patient evaluations required for issuance 13
of a new physician certification; revising penalties; 14
requiring medical marijuana use registry 15
identification cards to be renewed biennially rather 16
than annually; requiring the Department of Health to 17
establish processes and procedures for the issuance 18
and registration of medical marijuana use registry 19
identification cards for certain nonresidents; 20
authorizing visiting qualified patients to engage in 21
in all conduct authorized for a qualified patient; 22
requiring the waiver of certain fees for honorably 23
discharged veterans; providing an effective date. 24
25

HB 719 2026

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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 26
27
Section 1. Paragraph (k) of subsection (2), paragraphs 28
(a), (b), (f), (g), and (i) of subsection (4), and paragraphs 29
(a) and (d) of subsection (7) of section 381.986, Florida 30
Statutes, are amended to read: 31
381.986 Medical use of marijuana.— 32
(2) QUALIFYING MEDICAL CONDITIONS.—A patient must be 33
diagnosed with at least one of the following conditions to 34
qualify to receive marijuana or a marijuana delivery device: 35
(k) Medical conditions of the same kind or class as or 36
comparable to those enumerated in paragraphs (a)-(j) or for 37
which the patient has been prescribed an opioid drug listed as a 38
Schedule II controlled substance in s. 893.03 or 21 U.S.C. s. 39
812. 40
(4) PHYSICIAN CERTIFICATION.— 41
(a) A qualified physician may issue a physician 42
certification only if the qualified physician: 43
1. Conducted an examination of the patient and a full 44
assessment of the medical history of the patient. Before issuing 45
a an initial certification to a patient or renewing a 46
certification, the qualified physician must conduct an in-person 47
physical examination of the patient or an. For certification 48
renewals, a qualified physician who has issued a certification 49
to a patient after conducting an in-person physical examination 50

HB 719 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

may conduct subsequent examinations of that patient through 51
telehealth as defined in s. 456.47. For the purposes of this 52
subparagraph, the term "in-person physical examination" means an 53
examination conducted by a qualified physician while the 54
physician is physically present in the same room as the patient. 55
2. Diagnosed the patient with at least one qualifying 56
medical condition. 57
3. Determined that the medical use of marijuana would 58
likely outweigh the potential health risks for the patient, and 59
such determination must be documented in the patient's medical 60
record. If a patient is younger than 18 years of age, a second 61
physician must concur with this determination, and such 62
concurrence must be documented in the patient's medical record. 63
4. Determined whether the patient is pregnant and 64
documented such determination in the patient's medical record. A 65
physician may not issue a physician certification, except for 66
low-THC cannabis, to a patient who is pregnant. 67
5. Reviewed the patient's controlled drug prescription 68
history in the prescription drug monitoring program database 69
established pursuant to s. 893.055. 70
6. Reviews the medical marijuana use registry and 71
confirmed that the patient does not have an active physician 72
certification from another qualified physician. 73
7. Registers as the issuer of the physician certification 74
for the named qualified patient on the medical marijuana use 75

HB 719 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

registry in an electronic manner determined by the department, 76
and: 77
a. Enters into the registry the contents of the physician 78
certification, including the patient's qualifying condition and 79
the dosage not to exceed the daily dose