The Laws – Growing Medicinal cannabis in Florida
Who can grow medical marijuana in Florida?
Growing of Cannabis in Florida
Sadly, Florida law prohibits the possession of cannabis plants for personal use. This even includes registered marijuana patients. Regardless of registration or not, you will be charged with possession if found with any marijuana plants. Those charges range from third-degree felony for less than 25 plants; second-degree felony if found with more than 25 plants. Either way, charges will likely land you in jail.
Homegrown medicinal marijuana is forbidden in the state of Florida.
We cannot stress this enough. Marijuana cultivation is a regulated activity that Florida government has reserved for a few commercial growers. These growers should only produce low-THC varieties of marijuana for use among patients looking to reduce seizures and muscle spasms or patients with terminal conditions.
Importing of medicinal marijuana is also forbidden. You cannot grow cannabis outside the state and then bring it for personal use or distribution. Crossing the borders of Florida with marijuana is a felony. This is not a joke.
As some communities in Florida have delayed or ban the opening of medicinal cannabis dispensaries, the producers and retailers are using deliveries to meet the highly increasing demand. Some large companies claim that between one third and half of the customers rely on deliveries to get the drug. Most of the dispensaries are situated on the coasts of Florida or in the heavily populated metropolitan areas, including Gainesville and Orlando, Jacksonville and South Florida. Therefore, in most areas, patients take at least one hour to reach the nearest cannabis dispensary.
How to access medicinal marijuana in Florida
To benefit from medicinal cannabis, you must visit a registered medical cannabis doctor. The doctor should record your data in the State’s Office of Medical Marijuana Use registry. The information they enter specifies the medical marijuana types you need or can afford on a daily basis as well as the number of days the order will remain active. The doctor can make medical suggestions if you are new to the world of medical cannabis. However, you will have to decide on the specific products and strains to go for at the dispensary.
Currently, the registry does not allow physicians to exceed two orders at a time. Therefore, they can only order one for low-THC marijuana and the other for any other type. Low THC cannabis contains little THC levels and they do not produce psychoactive effects. They also contain healing CBD at higher levels. Many medicinal cannabis products contain high THC levels and can have psychoactive effects. The amount of CBD in the type of cannabis varies.
Apart from the two orders, a medical cannabis physician can order two delivery methods per order. For most patients that includes topical and oral methods – others such as inhalation methods are available. Oral products include concentrates, capsules, tincture and syringes. Inhalation cannabis products include vaporizer cups and cartridges. Your doctor should help you select the best strain type and products, but you are the person to make a decision on the route to follow. The doctor should also recommend the dose amount.
