Puerto Rico cannabis bills

What it would do: Adds a new subsection to Article 24 of Law 42-2017 (the Medical Cannabis Law) to clarify prohibitions on medical cannabis use for certain transportation employees.

What it would do: Amends the Organic Law of the Department of Consumer Affairs to grant the Department authority to regulate and oversee advertisements, offers, and sales of cannabidiol (CBD) and medical cannabis products in non-authorized dispensaries.

What it would do: Amends Article 18 of Law 42-2017 to allow medical cannabis businesses to deposit funds in any Puerto Rico credit union or financial institution regulated or not by the FDIC, provided they comply with federal and local banking regulations, removing the previous restriction to non-FDIC regulated institutions only.

What it would do: Amends Puerto Rico's 2020 Firearms Law to prohibit persons with Medical Cannabis licenses from obtaining firearm licenses, require drug test results from applicants, establish procedures for positive results, and require the Department of Health to provide the Police Bureau access to verify applicants' Medical Cannabis license status.

What it would do: Amends Section 6042.08 of the 2011 Puerto Rico Internal Revenue Code to suspend cigarette licenses for twelve months and impose a ten thousand dollar administrative fine per incident against any person or business that sells, attempts to sell, or induces minors under twenty-one years to acquire cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, or tobacco preparations.

What it would do: Requires cannabis medicinal payment intermediaries to obtain a license from the Medical Cannabis Regulatory Board and a money services business license from the Financial Institutions Commissioner, and prohibits funds from cannabis sales in Puerto Rico from being received, processed, or transferred through accounts or entities outside Puerto Rico.

What it would do: Orders the Chamber's Banking, Insurance and Commerce Commission to investigate Futucare, LLC and Vank, LLC's compliance with federal and state financial regulations governing medical cannabis transactions, including the Bank Secrecy Act, FinCEN guidelines, and OCIF regulations, with a report due within 180 days.

What it would do: Separates the Medical Cannabis Regulatory Board from the Department of Health as an independent entity with its own legal personality, headed by a full-time President appointed by the Governor with Senate consent, and creates a Special Fund financed by licensing fees and fifty percent of administrative fines.

What it would do: Amends Puerto Rico's medical cannabis law to restrict use to certified terminal medical conditions or debilitating conditions directly associated with terminal conditions, allows all licensed physicians to recommend cannabis without additional licensing, and allocates 50% of fine revenues to UPR cannabis research and 50% of license revenues to catastrophic disease fund.

What it would do: Prohibits consumption, sale, and distribution of medical cannabis in the presence of minors, and prohibits vaporization of medical cannabis in motor vehicles when minors are present. Establishes fines up to $100,000 and requires public awareness campaigns.

What it would do: Amends Section 3 of Senate Resolution 319 to order the Puerto Rico Senate Health Commission to conduct an exhaustive investigation into Law 42-2017's effects on medical cannabis, evaluating regulatory compliance, transparency, effectiveness, and socioeconomic impact including job creation and patient health outcomes.

What it would do: Amends Law 42-2017 to require the University of Puerto Rico president to establish an academic program at the Utuado campus focused on agricultural research, cannabis seed planting techniques, imported seed and plant management, and cultivator training, with annual audits by the Board and university president.

What it would do: This resolution ordered the Health Commission of Puerto Rico's House of Representatives to conduct an exhaustive investigation into the use and distribution of Delta-9 THC in compliance with Law 42-2017 and to identify its effects on youth and adults.

What it would do: Prohibits manufacturing, importing, selling, distributing, possessing and using laboratory-synthesized cannabinoids marketed as K2, Spice, incense, or similar products, and authorizes the Department of Health, Department of Justice, and Puerto Rico Police to inspect, seize, and forfeit such products, with additional penalties up to $50,000 for deceptive labeling.

What it would do: Amends Law 42-2017 to redirect portions of cannabis medicinal industry revenues to the Police Retirement Trust Fund: 50% of license fee revenues, 50% of administrative fines, and 10% of cannabis sales tax revenues.

What it would do: Orders the Puerto Rico Police Superintendent to establish limited electronic access to the REAL+ firearms system for the Department of Health within 90 days to verify if medical cannabis license applicants or holders have active firearms licenses, and orders the Health Secretary to provide reciprocal limited access to the medical cannabis registry for the same verification purposes.

What it would do: Amends Article 21 of Law 42-2017 to allow authorized cannabis patients in Puerto Rico to obtain or renew their Medical Cannabis Patient Identification for extended terms of two or three years, with patients choosing their preferred duration.