Medical marijuana patients in Florida must undergo an in-person exam every 30 weeks to recertify their medical card.
Two Republican legislators — Rep. Spencer Roach (Fort Myers) and Sen. Jason Brodeur (Sanford) — recently filed bills proposing patients be allowed to get recertified through a telehealth appointment.
As of Jan. 27, more than 788,000 residents were actively qualified to use medical marijuana.
Persons looking to get a medical marijuana card must visit a doctor certified to recommend medical marijuana treatment. Visit knowthefactsmmj.com/physicians/list to find a qualified physician.
There are more than 2,600 physicians actively qualified to recommend medical marijuana treatment in Florida.
If the doctor determines a person is qualified, they will enter the patient’s name into the state’s Medical Marijuana Registry. The patient is assigned an ID number which is then used in applying for a registry ID card online.
Qualifying conditions include:
The $75 application is available at mmuregistry.flhealth.gov.
The card is good for one year.
Medical marijuana isn’t obtained directly from a qualified doctor but from an authorized dispensary.
There are multiple dispensaries throughout Florida and more on the way.
Dispensaries currently open in the state:
During a visit to a dispensary, a staffer will check the patient in and then another staffer will accompany the patient to where the product is kept.
Many dispensaries offer online shopping with pick-up or delivery services.
Medical marijuana can be used through inhalation, consumption or a topical agent.
The industry generally recognizes two kinds of cannabis: Indica, which is often thought to be more calming, and Sativa, which is thought to be more uplifting. Most cannabis is a hybrid of the two, according to OncoLink.
Dispensaries offer a variety of products that use the whole plant or its compounds: