Governor Ron DeSantis signed the first bill of his administration into law today, lifting a ban on the sale of smokable medical marijuana by licensed dispensaries.

He also filed a joint motion in state appellate court to dismiss a lawsuit filed by medical marijuana advocates against the state challenging the constitutionality of a 2017 law that made smokable medical marijuana illegal.

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“I thank my colleagues in the Legislature for working with me to ensure the will of the voters is upheld," DeSantis said. "Now that we have honored our duty to find a legislative solution, I have honored my commitment and filed a joint motion to dismiss the state’s appeal and to vacate the lower court decision which had held the prior law to be unconstitutional.”

More than 71 percent of Florida voters approved Amendment 2 legalizing medical marijuana in November of 2016. But the Legislature passed a law in 2017 that defined medical use to exclude administration of marijuana in a smokable form or as a seed or flower except in a sealed, tamper-proof cartridge for vaping.

Shortly after he was sworn in as governor in January, DeSantis said he wanted the Legislature to come up with a solution by mid-March or he would drop the suit and take matters into his own hands.

"Our state must not disregard the voice of its people – when the people’s will is nullified by those with authority, liberty cannot survive," said State Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, whose campaign was noted for its advocacy of smokable medical marijuana. "Patients should be able to access medicine in the form their doctor determines best for them. Whether it’s smoking medical marijuana or other delivery mechanisms, treatment decisions should be made by physicians, not politicians.”

Those in the medical marijuana industry expect the Department of Health to move quickly on giving dispensaries the green light to roll out flower and leaf products.

“We appreciate and commend the legislature and Governor DeSantis for repealing the ban on smokable whole-flower cannabis. We stand ready to meet the needs of patients whose doctors order smokable products and are confident that the Department of Health is moving with all due haste," said Kim Rivers, CEO of Trulieve, the state’s largest licensed medical marijuana grower and distributor.

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Kim Hawkes, senior manager for government and public affairs for Surterra said, "When approved, we will over pre-rolls (pre-rolled cigarettes) under our Florida's Finest brand in a variety of strains and potencies and expect to deliver that same level of quality in additional whole flower products later in the year."

The company plans an April launch of its Coral Reefer brand, part of a licensing deal with Jimmy Buffett. It will feature an assortment of new products, in line with DOH regulations, Hawkes said.

The new law will allow doctors to prescribe up to 2.5 ounces of smokable marijuana every 35 days. Patients are allowed to possess up to 4 ounces.

There are 28 grams to one ounce. For those without medical marijuana cards, possession of more than 20 grams is still a felony.

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Until the passage of this bill, possession of vape pens also was a felony. Patients could only buy delivery devices from a medical marijuana treatment center approved by the Department of Health. They could also buy marijuana flower in an encapsulated, impenetrable cartridge to use in DOH-approved vape pens.

Also under the bill, people can purchase smoking paraphernalia and rolling papers.

People still won’t be able to smoke medical marijuana in public, in an enclosed work area, or on public transportation.

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Patients under the age of 18 can get permission to smoke medical marijuana only if they are terminal and get a second opinion from a second doctor who also is a licensed pediatrician.

The bill requires each treatment center to produce and sell at least one type of pre-rolled marijuana cigarette. It also provides specific packaging and warning label requirements for medical marijuana intended for smoking.

Contact Schweers at jschweers@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @jeffschweers.