Control of scheduled substances; delegation of authority to Attorney General to reschedule substance, or delete substance, by rule.

(1) The Legislature has determined that, from time to time, additional testings, approvals, or scientific evidence may indicate that controlled substances listed in Schedules I, II, III, IV, and V hereof have a greater potential for beneficial medical use in treatment in the United States than was evident when such substances were initially scheduled. It is the intent of the Legislature to quickly provide a method for an immediate change to the scheduling and control of such substances to allow for the beneficial medical use thereof so that more flexibility will be available than is possible through rescheduling legislatively.

(2) The Attorney General is hereby delegated the authority to adopt rules rescheduling specified substances to a less controlled schedule, or deleting specified substances from a schedule, upon a finding that reduced control of such substances is in the public interest. In determining whether reduced control of a substance is in the public interest, the Attorney General shall consider the following:

(a) Whether the substance has been rescheduled or deleted from any schedule by rule adopted by the United States Attorney General pursuant to s. 201 of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970, 21 U.S.C. s. 811.

(b) The substance’s actual or relative potential for abuse.

(c) Scientific evidence of the substance’s pharmacological effect, if known.

(d) The state of current scientific knowledge regarding the substance.

(e) The substance’s history and current pattern of abuse.

(f) The scope, duration, and significance of abuse.

(g) What, if any, risk there is to the public health.

(h) The substance’s psychic or physiological dependence liability.

(3) In making the public interest determination, the Attorney General shall give great weight to the scheduling rules adopted by the United States Attorney General subsequent to such substances being listed in Schedules I, II, III, IV, and V hereof, to achieve the original legislative purpose of the Florida Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of maintaining uniformity between the laws of Florida and the laws of the United States with respect to controlled substances.

(4) Rulemaking under this section shall be in accordance with the procedural requirements of chapter 120, including the emergency rule provisions found in s. 120.54, except that s. 120.54(7) does not apply.

(5) Upon the effective date of a rule adopted pursuant to this section, the rule’s rescheduling or deletion of a substance shall be effective for all purposes under this chapter.

(6) Rules adopted pursuant to this section shall be reviewed each year by the Legislature. Each rule shall remain in effect until the effective date of legislation that provides for a different scheduling of a substance than that set forth in such rule.

(7) The adoption of a rule rescheduling a substance or deleting a substance from control pursuant to this section shall not affect prosecution or punishment for any crime previously committed with respect to that substance.

(8) The provisions of this section apply only to substances controlled expressly by statute and not to substances controlled by rules adopted under the authority granted in the provisions of s. 893.035.