summary
Introduced
11/09/2021
11/09/2021
In Committee
11/19/2021
11/19/2021
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
03/14/2022
03/14/2022
Introduced Session
2022 Regular Session
Bill Summary
An act relating to legalization of recreational marijuana; providing a short title; amending s. 20.165, F.S.; renaming the Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation as the Division of Alcoholic Beverages, Marijuana, and Tobacco; amending s. 561.025, F.S.; renaming the Alcoholic Beverage and Tobacco Trust Fund as the Alcoholic Beverage, Marijuana, and Tobacco Trust Fund; specifying distribution of funds; creating ch. 566, F.S., entitled "Recreational Marijuana"; providing definitions; exempting certain activities involving marijuana from use and possession offenses; authorizing persons age 21 and over to engage in certain activities involving personal use of marijuana in limited amounts; providing limits on where persons may engage in specified activities; prohibiting the use of false identification by persons under 21 years of age for specified activities relating to recreational marijuana; providing noncriminal penalties; providing for personal cultivation; specifying possession limits; specifying duties of the Division of Alcoholic Beverages, Marijuana, and Tobacco; creating a cannabis equity program; providing hb0549-00 HB 549 for fee waiver and loan programs; establishing special provisions for equity applicants and microbusinesses; providing for issuance of early approval adult use dispensing organization licenses; specifying selection criteria; providing for issuance of conditional adult use dispensing organization license after a specified date; providing for adult use dispensing organization licenses; providing for identification cards for dispensing organizations; providing for background checks; requiring disclosure of ownership and control of dispensing organizations; providing for changes to dispensing organizations; providing for financial responsibility of dispensing organizations; providing for administration of dispensing organizations; providing operational requirements; providing requirements for inventory control systems; providing storage requirements; providing dispensing requirements; providing requirements for destruction and disposal of cannabis; requiring designation of an agent-in-charge; providing requirements for such agents; requiring security measures; specifying requirements for security of dispensaries; requiring certain recordkeeping for dispensaries; providing for nondisciplinary citations for minor violations; providing penalties; specifying grounds for hb0549-00 HB 549 discipline; authorizing temporary suspension of licenses; authorizing consent orders to resolve certain disciplinary complaints; providing for hearings on disciplinary complaints; providing for issuance of adult use cultivation center licenses; providing requirements; providing for early approval of adult use cultivation center licenses; providing for conditional adult use cultivation center license applications; providing requirements for such centers; providing for scoring of applications; providing for denial of applications under certain circumstances; providing for cultivation center agent identification cards; requiring cultivation center background checks; providing for renewal of cultivation center licenses and agent identification cards; providing for licensure of craft growers; providing requirements; providing for applications and scoring; providing for denial of applications in certain circumstances; providing for identification cards; requiring background checks; providing for renewal of licenses and identification cards; providing for licensing of infuser organizations; providing requirements; providing for applications and scoring; providing for denial of applications in certain circumstances; providing for identification cards; requiring hb0549-00 HB 549 background checks; providing for renewal of licenses and identification cards; providing for licensing of transporting organizations; providing requirements; providing for applications and scoring; providing for denial of applications in certain circumstances; providing for identification cards; requiring background checks; providing for renewal of licenses and identification cards; providing for cannabis testing facilities; requiring approval of testing facilities ; providing requirements; requiring that certain tests be performed before manufacturing or natural processing of any cannabis or cannabis-infused product or packaging cannabis for sale to a dispensary; requiring the department to establish certain standards; authorizing certain enforcement actions by the department; authorizing the Attorney General to enforce certain provisions under the Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act; providing immunity for prosecution or discipline under certain provisions for licensees for engaging in licensed conduct; providing construction; providing standards and requirements for advertising and promotions; providing standards and requirements for packaging and labeling; requiring certain warning labels; providing for certain local zoning ordinances for regulated hb0549-00 HB 549 businesses; providing for nonconflicting local ordinances and rules; authorizing certain local regulation of on-premises cannabis consumption; authorizing establishment of restricted cannabis zones; providing definitions; providing a process for local governments to create such zones; providing requirements for such zones; providing for enforcement of tax provisions; providing for search, seizure, and forfeiture of cannabis in certain circumstances; requiring a report concerning a grant program; amending s. 500.03, F.S.; providing that marijuana establishments that sell food containing marijuana are considered food service establishments for the purposes of specified regulations; creating s. 500.105, F.S.; specifying that food products containing marijuana that are prepared in permitted food establishments and sold by licensed retail marijuana stores are not considered adulterated; amending s. 562.13, F.S.; providing that it is unlawful for marijuana establishments to employ persons under 18 years of age under certain provisions; amending s. 569.0073, F.S.; exempting licensed marijuana establishments from specified provisions regulating the sale of pipes and smoking devices; amending s. 893.03, F.S.; removing cannabis hb0549-00 HB 549 from the schedule of controlled substances; amending ss. 893.13 and 893.135, F.S.; providing that conduct authorized under chapter 566, F.S., is not prohibited by specified controlled substance prohibitions; removing restrictions of possession and sale of cannabis; correcting cross-references; creating s. 893.13501, F.S.; providing for retroactive effect of amendments to ss. 893.03, 893.13, and 893.135, F.S., by this act; providing for sentencing review for certain offenders; requiring notice to certain offenders; providing procedures for resentencing or release of offenders; providing exceptions; amending s. 921.0022, F.S.; conforming provisions to changes made by the act; creating s. 943.0586, F.S.; providing definitions; authorizing an individual convicted of certain crimes to obtain sealing of his or her criminal history record or petition the court for expunction of his or her criminal history record under certain circumstances; requiring the individual to first obtain a certificate of eligibility from the Department of Law Enforcement; requiring the department to adopt rules establishing the procedures for applying for and issuing such certificates; requiring the department to issue a certificate under certain circumstances; providing for the expiration of hb0549-00 HB 549 and reapplication for the certificate; providing for sealing of certain records up the department's determination of eligibility; providing requirements for the petition for expunction; providing criminal penalties; providing for the court's authority over its own procedures, with an exception; requiring the court to order the expunction of a criminal history record under certain circumstances; providing that expunction of certain criminal history records does not affect eligibility for expunction of other criminal history records; providing procedures for processing expunction petitions and orders; providing that a person granted an expunction may lawfully deny or fail to acknowledge the underlying arrest or conviction, with exceptions; providing that a person may not be deemed to have committed perjury or otherwise held liable for giving a false statement if he or she fails to recite or acknowledge an expunged criminal history record; amending ss. 210.01, 210.10, 210.13, 210.151, 210.16, 210.1605, 210.20, 210.25, 210.405, 210.51, 213.053, 282.709, 322.212, 386.207, 402.62, 403.708, 455.116, 561.01, 561.02, 561.121, 561.14, 561.20, 561.221, 561.32, 561.545, 561.68, 561.695, 561.703, 562.025, 562.111, 562.45, 569.002, 569.003, 569.12, 569.31, 616.265, 633.142, 812.171, hb0549-00 HB 549 812.173, 812.174, 812.175, 812.176, 832.06, 877.18, 932.7055, 943.0595, 1002.395, and 1003.485, F.S.; conforming provisions to changes made by the act; providing an effective date. WHEREAS, cannabis prohibition has had devastating impacts on communities across Florida and the United States, and WHEREAS, persons convicted of a cannabis offense and their families suffer the long-term consequences of prohibition, and WHEREAS, while some individuals have a more difficult time entering the cannabis industry due, in part, to a lack of access to capital, business space, technical support, and regulatory compliance assistance, offering technical support, regulatory compliance assistance, and assistance with securing the capital necessary to begin a business will further reduce barriers to licensure and employment in the regulated industry, and WHEREAS, offering such support will also aid the state in its goal of eliminating or reducing the illicit cannabis market by bringing more people into the legal marketplace, and WHEREAS, it is the intent of the Legislature to ensure that persons most harmed by cannabis criminalization and poverty be offered assistance to enter the multi-billion dollar cannabis industry as entrepreneurs or as employees with high quality, well-paying jobs, and hb0549-00 HB 549 WHEREAS, it is the intent of the Legislature that the cannabis industry be representative of the state's population, and that barriers to entering the industry are reduced through support of cannabis equity programs, NOW, THEREFORE,
AI Summary
This bill is the "Florida Adult Use and Equity Act." It legalizes the recreational use of marijuana for adults 21 and over, creates a regulatory framework for the marijuana industry, and establishes a "cannabis equity program" to provide technical and financial assistance to individuals from communities impacted by the criminalization of marijuana.
The key provisions of this bill include:
- Renaming the Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco to the Division of Alcoholic Beverages, Marijuana, and Tobacco, and expanding its regulatory authority to include the marijuana industry.
- Exempting certain activities involving marijuana from criminal penalties and allowing adults 21 and over to possess, use, and cultivate limited amounts of marijuana.
- Creating a "cannabis equity program" to provide technical assistance, grants, and loans to help individuals from disproportionately impacted communities enter the marijuana industry.
- Establishing a framework for licensing marijuana cultivators, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers, including provisions for early approval licenses and reduced barriers to entry for social equity applicants.
- Requiring product testing, packaging, and labeling requirements for marijuana products.
- Allowing local governments to regulate the time, place, and manner of marijuana businesses, but prohibiting them from unreasonably restricting access.
- Creating a process for establishing "restricted cannabis zones" where local communities can prohibit home cultivation and certain types of marijuana businesses.
- Providing for the expungement and sealing of certain past marijuana convictions.
The bill aims to legalize and regulate the marijuana industry in Florida while promoting equity and reinvesting in communities harmed by the War on Drugs.
Committee Categories
Government Affairs
Sponsors (1)
Last Action
Died in Regulatory Reform Subcommittee (on 03/14/2022)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
Loading...
bill summary
Loading...
bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2022/549 |
| Bill | https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2022/549/BillText/Filed/PDF |
Loading...