Florida’s medical marijuana continues to expand statewide. On Tuesday, the Sunshine State’s first medical marijuana dispensary, Trulieve, announced it will open a third operating center in Tampa.
“This is an exciting start to the new year for Trulieve and the patients we serve,” said Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers. “As the first licensee to be authorized to dispense medical cannabis in Florida, we are pleased to serve an expanding Tampa market. We are also excited to be opening our newest dispensary.”
Trulieve is one of Florida’s seven dispensing organizations and currently has offices open in Tallahassee and in Clearwater. Like many marijuana dispensaries, the company hopes to expand its operation all around the state as medical marijuana becomes more readily available.
Another dispensary is planned to open in Pensacola.
Not just anyone can walk into Trulieve and pick up medical pot, though. Patients are required to be seen by their physician for at least 90 days and the physician is the one who has to write the prescription. Trulieve simply fulfills orders placed by physicians who want to sign off on medical marijuana for their clients.
The news comes shortly after Amendment 2, which legalizes medical marijuana for patients with debilitating conditions, officially took effect earlier this month.
The company currently offers low-THC and high-THC cannabis in different forms like oral capsules and vaporizers. Medical marijuana is currently available in oils, drops, tinctures and sprays which cost around $30 to $300 for a 45-day supply.
Amendment 2 hasn’t been all smooth sailing, though. Medical marijuana has gotten off to a confusing start in Florida since state lawmakers and the Department of Health will have to figure out how to regulate the industry. The road to dispensing medical marijuana is already full of roadblocks, particularly from cities and local governments trying to fight off the medical pot business.
Cities and counties around the state have expressed fears over medical pot shops popping up in commercial zones and school zones, though it is uncertain just how many dispensaries will be built statewide.
Pasco and Manatee Counties have both said they want bans on the drug and other counties, like Hillsborough, already have a ban in place until April.
While the amendment language might seem straightforward, the state legislature and the Florida Department of Health still have six months to revise the current dispensing rules and have up to nine months to implement those rules, which could throw a wrench into the state's newest prescription drug.
State lawmakers have already filed legislation to handle regulating the industry and the growth of dispensing centers. The 2017 legislative session begins in March.
Reach reporter Allison Nielsen by email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen.
