On Friday June 23, 2017, Governor Rick Scott signed Senate Bill 8A into law, putting into place regulations for Florida’s Amendment 2 medical marijuana program.
So, what does this mean for the patients?
No 90 day wait!
The biggest victory of the newest piece of legislation is the removal of the 90 day wait. Patients previously were subject to a 90 day wait after establishing with a medical cannabis physician. This is no longer required and patients may start receiving their medication as soon as they receive their temporary or permanent medical marijuana ID card. During your evaluation at Florida Medical Cannabis Clinic, we will walk you through the process of submitting your application to obtain your card.
Expanded medical conditions.
Amendment 2, and SB8A expanded the list of qualifying conditions for medical marijuana in the state of Florida.
To qualify a patient must have 1 or more qualifying conditions:
Cancer
Epilepsy
Glaucoma
HIV+
AIDS
Post traumatic stress disorder
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Crohn's disease
Parkinson's disease
Multiple sclerosis
Medical conditions of the same kind or class as or comparable to those listed
A terminal condition
Chronic nonmalignant pain
More dispensaries.
The largest battle legislatures faced during the special session for the recently passed SB8A was agreeing on the structure and number of Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers (MMTC) in Florida. Ultimately they agreed on issuing licenses for ten more Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers by October 2017. Each MMTC can open up to 25 store fronts. MMTC's are vertically integrated, meaning they are responsible for all facets of medical marijuana cultivation, processing, and distribution. Medication prices will likely reduce over time as more MMTC's are established and competition increases.
Larger Medication Orders
Doctors can now certify patients for up to 70 days of medication with additional refills. Patients must be re-certifed every 30 weeks or 210 days. Requirements for frequency of medical appointments will vary per doctor, medical condition, and patient's overall health; similar to other medications and treatment methods.
We recommend that our new patients do not fill their entire order at once. Instead, experiment with different products until you find the best options for you.
No more telemedicine.
The structure of Florida's previous program allowed for limited telemedicine (virtual appointments) use. This is no longer allowed as all certification visits must include a face to face evaluation. We pride ourselves on our personalized and compassionate face to face experience. We don't just certify patients - we provide medicinal marijuana care.
increased Documentation requirements.
SB8A increased the amount of documentation required for patients to be in compliance with State law. Other than obtaining your ID card and giving us your medical records, we take care of all your documentation requirements.
Flower & Edibles.
While whole flower and smoking were specifically prohibited, edibles have been added as a legal delivery method. Patients can also administer their medication via oral, vaporized, tincture, and topical methods.
More is to come.
As experienced in other legal states, the laws and regulations surrounding medicinal cannabis in Florida will continue to change and grow. Attorney John Morgan has stated that he intends to file suit over the prohibition of flower and smoking in the current law. Others plan to litigate over patient's rights to home grow.