Florida Cannabis Industry Ablaze

Collier County, FL, January 2019 — The use and distribution of medical grade cannabis is rapidly growing and becoming acceptable to lawmakers and residents of Florida. The Florida Department of Health reported a total of approximately 169,000 active registered users of medical cannabis as of Jan. 4, 2019. This is nearly 10,000 more registered users than the month prior. The same report shows that 10 additional dispensaries have opened in the state in the same timeframe; however, Collier County has not accepted this form of medication just yet.

The county has visited this proposal twice in 2018, which would zone cannabis dispensaries the same as pharmaceuticals. The proposal has fallen short by one vote each time. The consistent failing vote of 3-2 prevents those who are interested in the benefits of medical cannabis from obtaining this form of medication without leaving the county to get it. At the time of reporting, residents of Collier County have to travel approximately 2 hours to the nearest dispensary in south Lee County and residents aren’t satisfied with this resolution.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the veteran population of Florida sits around 7 percent of the national population of approximately 21,370,000 veterans. This means an estimated 1,570,000 veterans reside in the state of Florida. Of these veterans, the Department of Veteran Affairs estimates that 27,164 currently reside in Collier County.

While, this does not mean all veterans are seeking cannabis as a form of medication it does remove the option from the table. Trulieve, one of Florida’s largest dispensaries, is giving their efforts to bring accessibility to all of those who seek it.

With a new location opening recently in St. Augustine, FL, Trulieve has made their name known across the state as one of the fastest growing dispensaries. With 24 locations in Florida, Trulieve estimates that they make up around 70 percent of the market in the entire state. While Trulieve has planted their latest location further north their competitor, Curaleaf, has done their part to accommodating those in Collier County and Southwest Florida residents by opening their latest location in Bonita Springs this week. This location will cut down travel by at least a half hour.

Sources: Curaleaf, Inc., Trulieve, Inc., and Surterra Holdings

This is not the only attempt to accommodating medical marijuana users, however. Lawmakers are doing their part in attempt to deregulate cannabis as a Schedule 1 Controlled Substance.

This past week, Representative Earl Blumenauer (Dem.) submitted a bill ironically titled H.R.420, which proposes to regulate marijuana, the same as alcohol and legalize it on a federal level. This could have an affect that would not require a dispensary to have strict zoning requirements such as the pharmaceutical zoning that Collier County is voting against. Currently, Collier County has not made any public notices about future voting on this issue.

Marijuana has not been approved by the FDA as a safe and effective drug for any treatment at this time and it remains illegal on a federal level.

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