Trulieve lines up to sell edible pot products
Medical marijuana company Trulieve said Monday it has signed a deal to sell edible and concentrate products in Florida from Colorado company Love’s Oven, even though it’s not legal yet to sell such items here.
More than two years after 71 percent of voters approved a constitutional amendment to allow medical marijuana, Trulieve is putting pressure on Florida rule makers over edible medical marijuana products, one of the most popular forms of the drug in other states where it is legalized.
“Creating partnerships like these are part of our preparation, but we can’t do much more without rules and approval from the Department of Health,” said Victoria Walker, a spokeswoman for Trulieve, which has a location in Orlando.
Love’s Oven makes THC- and CBD-infused goods such as caramels, cookies, brownies and crackers.
Trulieve, a Toronto-based company, is one of 14 firms approved to sell medical marijuana in Florida. As of Feb. 1, more than 220,000 people in Florida had registered as medical marijuana patients. There are now 95 dispensaries across the state.
“Our team is working with Trulieve on production to ensure our consistent and effective products are ready to be launched once regulatory approvals are in place,” said a statement from Love’s Oven CEO Peggy Moore.
Trulieve also has signed a deal with another medical marijuana edibles company called Binske to distribute in Florida.
But lawmakers and Florida officials are still grappling with rules and restrictions on the two most popular forms of marijuana, smokable and edible pot.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has told legislators he would end the state’s court defense of the prohibition on smokable medical marijuana if lawmakers don’t do it first.
Meanwhile, the Florida Department of Health still has not issued rules on edible products. The agency did not respond to a request for comment over the edible medical marijuana rules.
“One of the theories why is that the Department of Health and Office of Medical Marijuana Use reflects the divided thinking in the
state over medical marijuana,” said Richard Blau, a Tampa-lawyer who specializes in medical marijuana. “Or maybe they just didn’t have the qualified personnel to do the research needed.”
Blau said there are still hurdles to edible marijuana products, such as lack of research, questions about dosage and control. There are also questions about how a company could transport marijuana products across state lines since cannabis is still illegal by federal standards.
“Ultimately the (Florida) Office of Medical Marijuana Use has not functioned the way that people expected and it’s hard to say why,” Blau said. “But it seems like there is now a great deal of pressure from the governor’s office on the Legislature and the agencies making the rules. I would think we may see some changes very soon.”
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