On August 18, Trulieve opened their second medical cannabis dispensary in Florida. The new spot is located at 24761 US Highway 19 North #630 in Clearwater. The dispensary provides low THC and high THC medical cannabis to those listed on the Florida Department of Health’s Compassionate Use Registry. Patients must be registered after visiting with a physician and are eligible if they suffer from epilepsy, severe seizures or muscle spasms, cancer, or are deemed “terminally ill.” Their first location opened in Tallahassee back in 2016 at 800 Capital Circle Southeast.
“As the first licensee to not only receive authorization to dispense but to open our doors, and make the first sale of any kind, it is also exciting to open our second dispensary so quickly,” said Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers in a release. “We are also delivering statewide and plan to have several more locations come online this year.”
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Two Tampa Bay locations are in the works
The company is close to opening their Tampa location at 8701 North Dale Mabry Highway, with plans to open in St. Pete, Bradenton, Miami and Orlando in 2017. In 2014, there was a strong push in the Tampa Bay community to approve full legalization of medical marijuana in the state. The Cannabis Carreer Institute held several seminars in Tampa and St. Pete to help educate entrepreneurs on the rules and regulations in the medical dispensary business. Florida, the third most populous state in the US, could serve as a huge source of revenue for those looking to create/produce medical cannabis in innovative ways.
More than $4 billion in retail sales predicted
Michael Aulsen of the Miami Herald reports that “there will be as much as $4.3 billion in retail sales of the drug this year. And that could double by 2019 if states like Florida and Ohio legalize medical marijuana.” Aulsen continues, “Currently, one type of cannabis is legal in Florida. It’s low in THC and is used for children with conditions like cancer and severe epilepsy.” The current issue in Florida for patients who qualify is finding doctors willing to participate in the program.
71% of Florida voters voted in favor of Amendment 2 in November
In March of 2016, Governor Rick Scott signed HB307, which slightly expanded the accessibility of the medicine to Florida residents. On election day, Florida residents overwhelmingly voted to approve the legalization of medical marijuana — 71% voted in favor of Amendment 2.
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The Amendment allows doctors to prescribe cannabis for debilitating medical conditions, which includes cancer, multiple sclerosis, glaucoma, hepatitis C, HIV, AIDS, ALS, Crohn’s disease, Parkinson’s disease or any other condition your physician believes the medical use of marijuana outweighs the potential health risk for the patient.
You can learn more about their business, and follow the progress on their new locations on their website and Facebook page.
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