Suffering Floridians can finally exhale. On Tuesday, medical marijuana, the relief they have waited years for, will finally be theirs for the taking.
The future of medical pot became a little brighter after Amendment 2 passed in November. On Jan. 3, Florida’s newest constitutional amendment goes into effect, expanding the scope of medical marijuana in the Sunshine State.
Amendment 2 has had a rocky history in Florida. When it first hit ballots in 2014, opposition was fierce. Drug Free Florida ran an intense attack campaign against the measure and it failed.
Two years later, the tides had turned. Voters overwhelmingly backed the measure, approving it with 71 percent of the vote.
Amendment 2 will expand the use of medical marijuana. Currently, low-THC marijuana is only available to patients suffering from debilitating illnesses like cancer and epilepsy. Under the new regulations, those conditions will be expanded to include HIV/AIDS, Parkinson’s disease, glaucoma and other conditions licensed practitioners see as a debilitating illness.
Not every physician will be licensed to dole out medical pot, though. Doctors who want to prescribe the drug have to complete an eight-hour course and an examination and patients must be under the doctor’s care for at least three months before they’re given the green light for medical marijuana.
The number of doctors able to prescribe the drug isn’t particularly high going into the age of Amendment 2. According to the Florida Department of Health, 340 physicians statewide are currently registered to prescribe medical marijuana.
Dispensaries have been working overtime to make sure they’re ready for an influx of patients requesting the drug. Seven organizations have been in the mix to dispose medical marijuana, but only five have been authorized to do so.
Some began delivering medical marijuana to patients’ home late last year, but other types of delivery options will be available for those in need of the drug.
Medical marijuana is currently available in oils, drops, tinctures and sprays which cost around $30 to $300 for a 45-day supply.
The first medical marijuana dispensary, Trulieve, opened its doors in August in Tallahassee. Dispensaries can now be found all the way from the Panhandle to Tampa Bay and more shops are planning on opening in the future.
State lawmakers will also have to decide the future of regulating the drug once Amendment 2 goes into effect.
Lawmakers are working on a time crunch -- they’ll need to work with the Florida Department of Health under a six month time frame to revise the current dispensing rules. They’ll have up to nine months to implement those rules, which could throw a wrench into the dispensing of the state's newest prescription drug.
Florida’s Senate Health Policy Committee is set to tackle Amendment 2 during this year’s legislative session, but the group of lawmakers hasn’t met just yet.
Reach reporter Allison Nielsen by email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen.
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