The Gadsden County nursery, doing business as Trulieve, announced Wednesday it had received formal authorization from the Department of Health to dispense medical marijuana.
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[George Hackney, Inc. d/b/a Trulieve] is authorized to begin dispensing low-THC cannabis and medical cannabis at its dispensing facility located at 800 Capital Cir SE, Tallahassee, FL 32301.
For two years some Florida families have waited for medical marijuana to finally become available in the state. At a press conference on Tuesday in Tallahassee, Rivers says Trulieve will conduct its first transaction with a patient and then open the dispensary up for deliveries to patients across Florida. The process, though, got bogged down by legal challenges and administrative delays. A three-person committee was then established to screen applications and select the original five dispensing organizations. Department of Health spokeswoman Mara Gambineri said only 15 doctors are now in the state’s registry. “The most important thing is to be able to have it available for patients who have a dire need for it”.
Existing Florida law allows qualifying patients to obtain a non-euphoric, low-THC strain of marijuana, which is thought to help with seizures and related medical conditions.
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Pennsylvania’s Department of Health expects to begin working soon with physicians from health systems and professional organizations as it writes medical marijuana program regulations. She adds that full-strength medical marijuana high in THC for terminally ill patients approved under the state’s “Right to Try Act” will be available in August. One of them is Governor Rick Scott who has been vocal about his opposition to the legalization of medical marijuana, which he compared to other vices such as alcohol. A similar measure was on the ballot in 2014 and received 58 percent approval, 2 percent shy of what was needed for passage.
