Calling the state's issuance of five medical marijuana cultivation licenses inadequate, advocates for patients and nurseries are redoubling their efforts to expand the list of ailments that qualify for treatment with low-potency marijuana.
A non-euphoric strain of marijuana popularly known as 'Charlotte's Web' has been found to effectively treat patients suffering from a severe form of epilepsy. Last year, the Florida Legislature legalized the use of the strain by those patients, as well as people diagnosed with cancer.
Cultivation of Charlotte's Web is regulated by the Florida Department of Health's Office of Compassionate Use, which this week awarded licenses to one nursery in each of the state's five regions. Roughly two dozen nurseries that had applied didn't make the cut, and some are considering appealing, arguing the state's scoring system may have been flawed.
Tallahassee's leading medical marijuana lobbyists are pledging to help facilitate the appeals while they work to convince lawmakers to add 14 new ailments to the two qualifying conditions currently in the medical marijuana law. Ranging from post-traumatic stress disorder to ALS, the added conditions could produce a flood of new medical marijuana patients and a need for more cultivation licenses.
"If the Legislature, in their wisdom, decides to open it up to that group, to allow them to try this, then you've got to have more growers and more dispensers to help meet that demand and keep the price where patients can afford it," said Jeff Sharkey, who along with Taylor Biehl runs the Medical Marijuana Business Association of Florida lobby group.
Conservative Republican legislators, however, are deeply skeptical of expanding the list of ailments, warning of the emergence of a 'wild west' of marijuana cultivation the state wouldn't have the resources to police. Other lawmakers disagree, suggesting voter approval of a sweeping medical marijuana amendment may be inevitable.
"One of the benefits of building a regulatory system is so that you are not caught flat-footed and aren't having to put together things with duct tape and chicken wire," said Sen. Rob Bradley (R-Fleming Island), who is sponsoring legislation to add the 14 additional ailments to the medical marijuana law.