Medical marijuana patients in Florida will soon be able to smoke it

Amanda Gammisch says it’s an exciting day for herself and thousands of other medical marijuana patients in Florida, who will soon be able use medical pot by smoking it.

“The idea of smoking to me is exciting because it provides patients relief in a different way then what the oil does,” Gammisch said.

For Gammisch, 38, who was diagnosed with brain cancer three years ago, marijuana oil has been one form of treatment, but she says being able to smoke it will help with her other symptoms.

“Smoking allows me to -- it helps me with eating and sleeping, which I struggle with both of those things,” Gammisch said.

The original constitutional amendment that voters approved in 2016 allowed patients to smoke it until lawmakers changed it --- yesterday a judge lifted a stay on her ruling last month which deemed the Florida legislature’s ban on smokeable marijuana unconstitutional.

“We’re happy because now patients who need this medication in the smokeable form are now able to get that medication , the court has clearly ruled that the patient has the right to smoke marijuana,” said attorney Matt Morgan.

Morgan’s law firm filed a lawsuit after lawmakers banned smoking it, he says state health officials will now have to develop rules regulating the use of smokeable marijuana.

“The Department of Health is now going to have to come forward and say what the procedure is, for marijuana to be smoke in line with the court’s ruling,” Morgan said.

It could take several weeks for the Department of Health to roll out those rules, dispensaries like Knox Medical say they're waiting on guidance from the Department of Health before offering new products.