The House has passed legislation reducing the cost of medical marijuana cards for people honorably discharged from the military.
But the measure’s future is murky in the Senate, where the bill hasn’t had a hearing.
Rep. Susan Valdés’ bill (HB 887) would cut the fee from $75 to $15, a move the Hillsborough Republican says would increase access for veterans via a “simple bill with a very big impact.”
“Reducing the costs of access is not symbolic for the veterans. It directly moves a costly barrier that often keeps already underserved veterans from participating in a program that can support their health, stability and their overall well-being,” Valdés said in a Committee earlier this Session.
Praise abounded for the proposal from the public throughout this process.
A Florida Cannabis Action Network representative noted in Committee that a similar version of this bill got to the floor last year, and pointed out that this filing comes after President Donald Trump said he wanted to lower cannabis to a Schedule 3 drug.
It is unknown how many of the state’s more than 932,000 medical marijuana card holders were once in the armed services. The bill will help answer that question.
Valdes said Wednesday that “reducing the cost of access is not only a symbolic gesture for the veterans that serve us.”
“It directly removes the cost barrier that’s too high, often keeps already under-served veterans from participating in this program. And this is a way that we can show how grateful we are to our veterans by lighting that board green.”
A.G. Gancarski has been the Northeast Florida correspondent for Florida Politics since 2014. His work also can be seen in the Washington Post, the New York Post, the Washington Times, and National Review, among other publications. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter: @AGGancarski
March 4, 2026 at 7:44 pm
I’m going to have The Senate kill this bill as it is totally inappropriate to get our Vets hooked on drugs.
What were you members of The House thinking?
March 5, 2026 at 7:16 am
Thanks George,
Many forget that Marajuana is the weed with its roots in Hell.
I trust The Senate wull do its jod and kill this bill grave-yard-dead.
Comments are closed.
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