New Cannabis Law May Cause Unexpected Harm To Disabled Defendants
One of the last bills signed during the 2025 legislative session was a measure known as SB 2514. Among other measures, this bill, which became law on July 1, 2025, adds a serious, long-term consequence to being convicted of a Florida drug crime. Under this bill, people who are convicted of certain drug offenses may not be part of the state’s medical cannabis program, and those who have medical cards may have them revoked.
Little Room For Argument
The language in the new law is fairly explicit: it states that if a person is charged with a violation of Section 893 of the Florida Statutes (that is, the section which deals with drug-related offenses like trafficking), their registration must be suspended until the “final disposition of the alleged offense.” If a person is convicted, or pleads guilty or nolo contendere, their registration for the medical program must be revoked – not “may” be revoked, but must.
More specifically, the offenses that will trigger this measure include the “trafficking, sale, manufacture, delivery, or possession with intent to sell, manufacture, or deliver” a controlled substance. In short, most drug offenses other than simple possession of small amounts of a controlled substance will result in the loss of one’s medical card – not only for themselves, but also, potentially, for caregivers.
Is It Equitable?
Florida has a long history of aggressively prosecuting all drug offenses, given its past involving illegal drugs. However, it is unfortunately easy to see how this law might have unintentional cruel consequences. A person must have a qualifying medical condition in order to receive a medical cannabis card in Florida – someone with, say, chronic pain who is convicted of a drug charge may face the added punishment of having no pain management while in jail, which seems, at best, inequitable.
While the law does allow for those who lose their medical cannabis card to reapply for it after completing all the terms of their drug-related conviction, there is no guarantee that this process will be easy – and unfortunately, even in government, bias against those who have been convicted of drug offenses is common. Some can be expunged, but some cannot, most notably drug trafficking. Between medical concerns and the difficulty of reapplying, it is crucial to be aware of just how serious a conviction can be.
Contact A West Palm Beach Drug Crimes Attorney
As of this writing, the new law has only been active for a handful of days, but it still has the potential to result in extra pain and hardship to a disabled defendant. If you have been charged with a drug offense, a West Palm Beach drug crimes attorney from Perlet & Shiner, P.A. will work hard to protect your rights. Call our office today to schedule an attorney.
Source:
flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2025/2514/
