FLORIDA'S WEED WOES State of Confusion by Allison Gorman
The still-evolving landscape around medical marijuana has a lot of Floridians asking questions. No worries— we have (almost) all the answers.
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f Floridians are confused about how medical marijuana works in their state, it’s no wonder. After all, the legalization of this natural drug has been a two steps forward, one step back process. First, medical marijuana was made legal in Florida for a relatively small subset of severe chronic health conditions, such as HIV/AIDS and cancer. Then last year, Florida voters okayed its use for a broader range of “like” conditions—that is, the sort of physical and emotional symptoms, such as chronic pain and anxiety, that often accompany those severe health conditions. Now, under the new law, medically qualified patients can get a referral that enables them to purchase medical marijuana products at a state-approved dispensary. And there are so many products! You can ingest them, vape them, rub them on your skin, smoke them … oh, sorry, you can’t smoke them. First you could, but now you can’t; Florida’s legislature wrote that restriction into the new law. But Gov. Ron DeSantis just announced that if the restriction isn’t lifted by March, he’ll drop the appeal preventing that from happening. 24
So the state law is still being hashed out, and meanwhile Floridians who are interested in trying medical marijuana—a potentially life-changing treatment—are asking lots of questions. Like, is it really OK to use medical marijuana if federal law still prohibits it? What happens if I test positive for it at work? Can I use it and not get high? What’s the difference between medical marijuana and CBD? And why do I have to go to a dispensary for some CBD products, when I just saw a bunch of them at the gas station down the street? Then there are the logistical questions, about time, cost and process. And, of course, there’s the most important question of all: Can medical marijuana help me? With input from three local providers who offer medical marijuana referrals, we found some answers.
Who can use medical marijuana?
To get a medical marijuana card, you must be diagnosed with a qualifying medical condition by an M.D. who’s approved to
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make medical marijuana referrals. Qualifying conditions include cancer, epilepsy, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Crohn’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS); medical conditions similar or comparable to any of those conditions; chronic pain related to one of those conditions; or a terminal condition diagnosed by a physician other than the one making the medical marijuana referral.
What’s the process? “If you try to figure it out on your own, it can seem complicated, but any doctor’s office that does these things can make it pretty simple,” says Kevin Hogan, D.C., owner of East Hill Medical Group. Some practices, like East Hill, request that patients wanting a medical marijuana referral bring in medical records showing that they’ve been treated for a qualifying condition. Other practices will diagnose first-time patients before making a referral. While the time spent on consultation and follow-up varies from one practice to another, the referring doctor generally talks with the patient about the various types of products and intake options (edible, topical, etc.), as well as the dispensary process, before uploading the referral—indicating dosage amount and often intake type—to the Florida Health Department Office of Medical Marijuana Use (OMMU). Within minutes, the patient will receive an email from the state with instructions to submit a passport photo and $75. About 10 days later, the patient will receive email notification that he or she is registered in the state system and can purchase medical marijuana from a dispensary. An official medical marijuana card will be issued within a few weeks. The card must be renewed via medical referral every seven months. During that time, the referring physician can issue certifications for three 70-day supplies of product.
How much does it cost?
There’s the cost of the doctor’s visit, the cost of the medical marijuana card and then the cost of the products themselves. Kim Hawkes, senior manager of government
