It seems like every day since Florida voted in November to pass Amendment 2 that someone asks what is going on with medical marijuana in Florida. When is it going to start? How do I get a license? What are the new laws?
The truth is, we in the industry don’t have all the answers yet because the Florida Legislature and Department of Health still have to work out rules and regulations that will govern the process and industry.
According to the Miami Herald, 200 doctors are qualified to prescribe marijuana and that under the 2014 law that legalized a limited form of medical marijuana, the patients of such doctors have to have a history with that doctor for at least 90 days before they are able to prescribe marijuana treatment for approved illnesses. We are unsure yet if the Florida Legislature and Department of Health plan on removing the 90 day requirement but many patients are going to these doctors preemptively to start the 90 day waiting period process.
The law has expanded its list of approved conditions for medical marijuana treatment to include:
▪ Cancer ▪ Epilepsy ▪ Glaucoma ▪ HIV ▪ AIDS ▪ Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) ▪ Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease) ▪ Crohn’s disease ▪ Parkinson’s disease ▪ Multiple sclerosis
The frustration with Florida residents is that as of now the law does not allow the use of smokeable marijuana but rather the use of oils, tinctures and capsules as the legal form of treatment available.
Floridians won’t have to wait too much longer to get more clarity on these issues. The Department of Health must create regulations by July 2017, while growers and dispensaries must be registered by October.
It seems like every day since Florida voted in November to pass Amendment 2 that someone asks what is going on with Medical Marijuana in Florida. When is it going to start? How do I get a license? What are the new laws?
The truth is, we in the industry don’t have all the answers yet because the Florida Legislature and Department of Health still have to work out rules and regulations that will govern the process and industry.
According to the Miami Herald, 200 doctors are qualified to prescribe marijuana and that under the 2014 law that legalized a limited form of medical marijuana, the patients of such doctors have to have a history with that doctor for at least 90 days before they are able to prescribe marijuana treatment for approved illnesses. We are unsure yet if the Florida Legislature and Department of Health plan on removing the 90 day requirement but many patients are going to these doctors preemptively to start the 90 day waiting period process.
The law has expanded its list of approved conditions for medical marijuana treatment to include:
▪ Cancer ▪ Epilepsy ▪ Glaucoma ▪ HIV ▪ AIDS ▪ Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) ▪ Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease) ▪ Crohn’s disease ▪ Parkinson’s disease ▪ Multiple sclerosis
The frustration with Florida residents is that as of now the law does not allow the use of smokeable marijuana but rather the use of oils, tinctures and capsules as the legal form of treatment available.
Floridians won’t have to wait too much longer to get more clarity on these issues. The Department of Health must create regulations by July 2017, while growers and dispensaries must be registered by October.
By: Oren Cytrynbaum