State Rep. Alex Andrade (R-Pensacola) is taking a pragmatic approach to marijuana legislation by sponsoring House Bill 555.
His motivation stems from the clear message Floridians sent during last year’s Amendment 3, which would have legalized recreational marijuana. Though 5,934,139 Floridians voted “yes,” the ballot initiative fell short of the 60% threshold.
“Last year, we saw well over 50% of the state support recreational use,” Andrade said. “(HB 555) just highlights the fact that the majority of Floridians want some type of movement on the topic.”
DETAILS
House Bill 555 combines elements from two separate Senate proposals:
1. Expanding Florida’s existing medical marijuana program
2. Allowing individuals to grow limited amounts of marijuana for personal consumption at home
As Andrade described it: “It’s a combination of two separate bills that are in the Senate. One related more to the expansion of our medical program, and the other related to allowing people to grow for their own personal consumption at home. So it’s a movement in a rational direction.”
A Rational Approach
Andrade noted that he hasn’t been the “biggest advocate for marijuana.” He said, “I’m not a doctor. I really couldn’t tell you how much medical efficacy it actually has. I don’t think anybody who smokes it can say that they’re doing it medicinally.”
He elaborated on this perspective: “There’s no other medicine on the market that you can dose by inhaling burned smoke, like burned carbon vapor, unless you’re saying alcohol is medicinal. It’s the same topic concept for me with marijuana.”
Despite these reservations, Andrade said, “I’m just fed up with treating it like it’s fentanyl. It’s not fentanyl. So I want some more rational, reasonable regulations around it.”
While Andrade has taken the initiative in the House, he acknowledges that the bill’s future “is kind of up to the Senate, so we’ll see.”
“Right Thing to Do”
In sponsoring HB 555, Andrade responds to constituents’ preferences even when they might not perfectly align with his personal views or traditional party positions.
“Most folks who are not in alignment with my political views will not give me any credit for filing it, but I just thought it was the right thing to do.”
Here is the audio of the complete interview: Rep. Andrade discusses his legislative efforts, including a marijuana bill aimed at rational regulation and personal cultivation and a cash bond bill to ensure bail money is returned if court appearances are met.
He also highlights his collaboration with Senator Don Gaetz on education reform, including allowing city-run charter schools and enhancing the Institute for Human Machine Cognition’s autonomy.
Andrade expresses concerns over Medicaid managed care oversight, emphasizing the need for tighter regulation and transparency in the state’s $36 billion program.
