Medical marijuana patients may soon be allowed to grow weed at home, according to a new Florida bill filed by the same Republican who bucked party leaders to lead the charge on recreational marijuana.
Sen. Joe Gruters, a top Trump ally, filed SB 546 in response to Gov. Ron DeSantis' statewide tour blasting a recreational marijuana amendment that ultimately failed in November. DeSantis claimed that the measure was anti-freedom by requiring Floridians to buy weed from a dispensary instead of growing pot at home.
"There was a lot of discussion during the campaign on this and I am hopeful that my colleagues will support it," Gruters told The Floridian in a text message. "It is limited to medical marijuana patients and gives freedom to people who would like to grow their own products in a limited and regulated way."
His bill would allow a medical marijuana patient to grow up to two cannabis plants at home, as long as they are at least 21 and apply for a home-grow certificate with the Department of Agriculture. The bill requires the Department to adopt rules on inspecting and registering these cannabis plants and mandate how these certificates will be issued, renewed, replaced, and revoked.
In the certificate application for a renter, the patient must provide proof that the property owner consents to home-grow. All cannabis plants must be hidden from public view "without the use of binoculars, aircraft, or other special aids," the bill says.
SB 546 follows a bitter battle over a proposed recreational marijuana measure, called Amendment 3. Gov. Ron DeSantis claimed it crushed freedom by preventing home-grow (which is currently illegal), alleged it would forgo all criminal liability in the event of a disaster, and accused its writers, the medical marijuana company Trulieve, of trying to insert themselves into the constitution.
DeSantis and his wife, Casey DeSantis, embarked on 16 total campaign stops against Amendment 3 and a pro-abortion amendment, both of which failed. Gruters, the first major Republican to split from his party and support the amendment, joined Donald Trump in backing Amendment 3, and even filmed ads encouraging Floridians to vote "yes" on election night. He was later attacked on social media by DeSantis's staff, who accused him of being paid off by weed companies.
Gruters was one of the few Republican lawmakers who not only never endorsed DeSantis for president, but publicly called him out ahead of the presidential primary. He has since been endorsed by Trump to run for the Chief Financial Officer role in 2026.
If passed, the bill would go into effect in July.
