A Florida House subcommittee has shown bipartisan support for a proposal that would eliminate the $75 fee for military veterans seeking medical marijuana cards. This initiative aims to make it easier for honorably discharged veterans to access cannabis for treating conditions like chronic pain and PTSD.
While the proposal removes the fee, veterans will still need to qualify for medical marijuana according to state law. Additionally, they will be required to obtain a certification from a licensed doctor, which will now be valid for two years instead of the previous annual requirement. Supporters believe that waiving the fee will help alleviate financial and administrative challenges faced by military veterans.
In November, efforts to fully legalize marijuana in Florida faced a setback when a proposed constitutional amendment to legalize recreational cannabis for adults failed to achieve the necessary 60 percent approval. Currently, Florida’s medical marijuana program mandates that patients receive a physician’s certification annually and pay the $75 fee to obtain, renew, or replace their medical marijuana cards.
The proposal, which is part of a streamlined version of House Bill 555 introduced by Republican Representative Alex Andrade, aims not only to waive the fee but also to extend the certification period from one year to two. Andrade’s original bill included broader reforms, such as allowing home cultivation and expanding qualifying conditions, but these provisions have been removed from the current version.
As of now, the bill has not been discussed in the Senate, where a companion measure—Senate Bill 552 filed by Republican state Senator Joe Gruters—has not seen any progress since its introduction on March 4, according to The Palm Beach Post.
Florida’s 2025 legislative session has seen several marijuana-related bills introduced, but few have gained significant traction. Other bills, such as HB 83 and SB 142, aim to protect public employees who use medical marijuana from adverse employment actions, though there are exceptions for those impaired while on the job. Additionally, HB 993 and SB 146 seek to prevent courts from considering a parent’s legal marijuana use in custody cases.
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