Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Monday signed into law a bill legalizing smoking medical marijuana.
In a statement, the governor said that in 2016 over 70 percent of Florida voters approved medical marijuana. He went on to thank his colleagues in the legislature for ensuring the will of the voters is upheld.
DeSantis also signed a motion to dismiss the state’s appeal and to vacate the lower court decision, which found the prior medical marijuana law to be unconstitutional. Under the new law, unless authorized by two doctors, one of which has to be a pediatrician, no one under 18 would be able to smoke marijuana unless they are terminally ill.
Florida’s Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried called the law a “landmark victory” for medical marijuana patients and for democracy as a whole. She went on to say, “It’s a triumph owed to the relentless advocacy of Floridians who refused to be silenced.” The medical marijuana issue was the cornerstone of her 2018 campaign, and is listed as one of her priorities.