TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Florida House's top health committee passed legislation Tuesday to eliminate the state's ban on smoking medical marijuana but attached a key restriction that could imperil the measure's chances of becoming law.

Under the legislation, medical marijuana patients authorized by their doctors to smoke the drug would be barred from rolling their own joints. Instead, they'd have to purchase pre-rolled filtered marijuana cigarettes from licensed dispensaries.

The proposal is a reaction to Gov. Ron DeSantis' threat to drop the state's appeal of a ruling striking down the 2017 smoking ban as unconstitutional. The governor's giving lawmakers until March 15 to pass repeal legislation.

"If that decision were to stand, what we'd be facing essentially would be the wild, wild west when it comes to the use of medical marijuana," said Rep. Ray Rodrigues (R-Estero), the chairman of the House Health and Human Services Committee. "We believe there should be guardrails around that, so that's why we've reconvened and we've put this bill together."

On balance the legislation is less restrictive than a measure passed last week by the Senate's health committee. That proposal would require two doctors to certify that a patient's use of smokable medical marijuana is the only effective treatment for their condition.

Medical marijuana advocates who dismissed the Senate's bill as far too restrictive now favor the House version, at least grudgingly.

"You may be losing some of those flavinoids and terpines that are part of the whole thing, but you know what? In the context of how far we've come since 2014, that is certainly something we can continue to discuss," Florida Cannabis Action Network President Jodi James told the House panel shortly before Tuesday's vote, referring to the effect cigarette filters could have on marijuana consumption.

If the House bill isn't amended to remove the filtered cigarette requirement — and, similarly, if the certification provision isn't removed from the Senate bill — there's a high likelihood the chambers won't be able to reach a compromise by the governor's deadline.    

The drug's critics, however, warned House members to take a more restrictive approach to allowing smoking. Deriding marijuana as a gateway drug, they spoke of the potential for it to fall into the wrong hands.

"The more strict rules and regulations you can put on medical marijuana will keep it out of the hands of our kids," said Ellen Snelling, a member of the Hillsborough County Anti-Drug Alliance.