COUNTY’S 1ST POT OUTLET SET TO OPEN IN LAKE WORTH

More than 50,000 Floridians have registered for the state’s medical marijuana program, the Florida Department of Health says. As of Wednesday, 50,775 patients had visited a doctor and paid for a state medical card. That puts Florida’s cannabis program 10 percent of the way to the half a million people that pot proponents expected to ultimately sign up.

Meanwhile, Palm Beach County’s first cannabis dispensary is set to open today. Knox Medical’s store in Lake Worth plans to host a grand opening.

Who is eligible for medical marijuana in Florida? Patients with cancer, AIDS, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, chronic pain and other “debilitating” medical conditions can use marijuana with a doctor’s permission.

How do I qualify?

It takes a few weeks and a few hundred dollars to buy weed legally. Patients who want to try weed start by visiting one of the 900-plus doctors who are permitted by the Florida Department of Health to recommend cannabis. Prices vary, but the initial visit typically costs about $200. If the physician signs off, the patient applies to the Office of Medical Marijuana Use for a state ID card, which costs $75.

Where do I buy medical cannabis?

Florida regulators have approved seven companies to grow, process and sell medical marijuana. Cannabis producers are allowed to deliver pot to patients, and many of them have retail locations.

How much does it cost?

That depends on the patient, but marijuana growers and patients say the typical tab is $150 a month.

In what form is marijuana sold?

Florida patients can’t buy pot in the leafy green buds most commonly associated with the drug. Instead, cannabis is delivered through vaporizers, pills or other “edibles,” oral drops and nasal sprays.