Shortly after a Florida Republican on Monday introduced a medical marijuana homegrow bill that also sought to ban a range of hemp-derived cannabinoids, the lawmaker withdrew the legislation from consideration. He now says he’ll reintroduce the measure without the hemp-related restrictions.
SB 334, from Sen. Joe Gruters (R), would have allowed state-registered medical marijuana patients to cultivate up to two plants at home, provided the plants were grown in a locked area not visible from a public place or other private property.
It also would have banned a range of hemp-derived cannabinoids, including delta-8 THC, delta-10 THC, tetrahydrocannabinol acetate (THCA), tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV), tetrahydrocannabiphorol (THCP) and hexahydrocannabinol (HHC).
As introduced, it also would have capped delta-9 THC—the chief psychoactive component in marijuana—at 2 milligrams per serving and 20 mg per package.
Gruters said after withdrawing the bill that he plans to reintroduce a medical homegrow bill without the hemp provisions. Asked by Politico when he intended to file the revised legislation, the lawmaker replied: “As soon as it’s ready.”
It’s unclear whether the forthcoming measure will include other details in SB 334, such as a provision clarifying that a product’s delta-9 THC content would be determined through a combination of delta-9 itself and THCA, which converts into delta-9 THC when heated.
Gruters, a former chair of the Florida Republican Party, was a proponent of the backed legalization measure Amendment 3 last November—which would not have legalized home cultivation—appearing in an ad alongside Sen. Shevrin Jones (D) to argue that the reform would be “good for Florida” despite strong pushback from Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).
Gruters and Kim Rivers—the CEO of Trulieve, a medical marijuana company that provided the bulk of funding for Amendment 3—also met with Trump ahead of his endorsement of the constitutional amendment, as well as federal rescheduling and industry banking access.
Some critics of Amendment 3 had complained about its lack of a home cultivation allowance, which they said would force consumers to make purchases from a small number of licensed retailers.
A campaign mailer from the state Republican Party, for instance, called the campaign “a power grab by mega marijuana corporations, eliminating their competition and enshrining their monopoly advantage in the Constitution forever.”
DeSantis, meanwhile, repeatedly complained that legalizing marijuana in the state would lead to a rash of public consumption, causing the state to smell of cannabis. Gruters downplayed that concern but also introduced a bill to ensure that smoking in public would remain illegal.
As for hemp-derived cannabinoids, last year DeSantis vetoed a bill that would have banned intoxicating hemp products, which was widely seen as an effort to enlist the hemp industry in opposing Amendment 3.
Meanwhile in Florida, the campaign behind Amendment 3 recently filed a revised version in hopes of getting a second shot in 2026.
Just months after a Florida marijuana legalization initiative failed at the ballot, the campaign behind the proposal has filed a revised version in hopes of getting a second shot in 2026.
Smart & Safe Florida’s 2024 measure did receive a majority of the vote in November, but it fell short of a steep 60 percent threshold to pass constitutional amendments under state law.
Separately, lawmakers in Florida this session have also introduced bills that would protect medical marijuana patients from discrimination in government jobs and prevent state courts from restricting certain parental rights based solely on a person’s status as a qualified cannabis patient.
Photo courtesy of Mike Latimer.
Shortly after a Florida Republican on Monday introduced a medical marijuana homegrow bill that also sought to ban a range of hemp-derived cannabinoids, the lawmaker withdrew the legislation from consideration. He now says he’ll reintroduce the measure without the hemp-related restrictions. SB 334, from Sen. Joe Gruters (R), would have allowed state-registered medical marijuana patients Read More
