Dispensaries: Smokable pot on the way
South Florida’s medical marijuana dispensaries say they’ll be ready to roll out smokable pot products after they receive state guidelines.
On Monday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed legislation to legalize smokable medical marijuana. The new law, effective March 18, allows a qualified physician to determine that smoking medical marijuana is appropriate for a patient. Florida previously had a ban on smokable medical marijuana.
“We stand ready to meet the needs of patients whose doctors order smokable products," said Kim Rivers, CEO of Trulieve, the Irvin Rosenfeld, a Fort Lauderdale stockbroker, has one of the few federal government-issue prescriptions for medical marijuana.
largest dispensary company in the state, based in Quincy.
Trulieve said while it couldn’t disclose specific smokable products,
all new products will be sold at each of its 25 dispensaries statewide, including those in South Florida.
In February, Trulieve said it was partnering with a Colorado company, Love’s Oven, to bring edible products to Florida. But it is waiting on rules from Florida to sell those as well.
Massachusetts-based Curaleaf plans on making safe smokable products available as an option physicians may order for their patients, according to Michelle Terrell, director of marketing and sales for Curaleaf Florida..
Curaleaf said it views smokable medical marijuana as an additional option to offer Florida’s physicians and patients. Depending on a medical condition, a qualified doctor also may order current products that include oils, topicals, vapes, tinctures and capsules, the company said.
Atlanta-based Surterra Wellness said it will offer at its dispensaries and for delivery a brand called “Florida's Finest” pre-rolls — ground flower in a pre-packaged, rolled cannabis cigarette — in a variety of strains and potencies, as well as whole flower products later in the year, according to Kim Hawkes, senior manager of government relations for Surterra.
Allowing smokable medical marijuana has been controversial since Florida voters passed the constitutional amendment legalizing medical marijuana in 2016.
The new law requires a patient’s informed consent form to include the negative health risks associated with smoking marijuana. It also prohibits a physician from certifying a patient under 18 years of age to smoke marijuana for medical use unless the patient is diagnosed with a terminal condition.
Under the law, qualified patients can buy up to a 210-day supply at a time, the equivalent of six 35-day doses of a maximum 2.5 ounces.