In a unanimous 16 to 0 vote, Florida’s House Health Professions & Programs Subcommittee today approved a bill that would make medical marijuana cards free for veterans and extend the validity of all cards from one year to two.
(Photo credit: GETTY Images).
House Bill 555 is designed to ease access to medical marijuana for veterans, and make the process more affordable for them. The proposal would waive the state’s fee for issuing, replacing, or renewing medical marijuana identification cards for honorably discharged veterans. Applicants would be required to submit a DD-214 form as proof of status.
HB 555 also proposes extending the validity of medical marijuana identification cards from one year to two years, reducing the frequency and cost of renewals for all qualified patients and caregivers (this would apply to all patients, not just veterans).
Florida legalized medical marijuana through Amendment 2 in 2016, allowing patients with qualifying conditions to access cannabis with a doctor’s recommendation. The state currently has over 905,000 registered patients.
If passed into law, HB 555 would take effect July 1, 2025.
