A pro-legalization Florida lawmaker has filed a bill to amend state law to codify that the public use of marijuana is prohibited.
Rep. Alex Andrade (R)—who has voiced support for removing cannabis from the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and earned an “A” grade from NORML—introduced the public smoking and vaping legislation on Thursday.
Under the proposal, state statute on the use of tobacco in public would be revised to incorporate cannabis, making it unlawful to smoke or vape in any public space.
A public space would be defined as place “to which the public has access, including, but not limited to, streets; sidewalks; highways; public parks; public beaches; and the common areas, both inside and outside, of schools, hospitals, government buildings, apartment buildings, office buildings, lodging establishments, restaurants, transportation facilities, and retail shops.”
The legislation specifies that the prohibition on public smoking “does not apply to the smoking of unfiltered cigars.”
Given the bill sponsor’s support for cannabis reform, it seems likely this is an attempt to get ahead of future criticism of broader legalization proposals, as Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and other conservative officials have frequently argued that ending prohibition would equate to a Wild West of public
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