Flourishing in Florida

Cannabis may
be legal in Washington and Colorado but there are still places where a few
joints can send you to jail and cost you thousands of dollars in court fees. While
many view the “Wild West” as a liberal haven for social experiments, states
like Florida are beginning to push the collective of south eastern states
towards accepting cannabis as a legitimate medicine. There are many reasons for
why the movement is being accepted but the ones that are making the most impact
in Florida more than anything else are the women and children who struggle with
seizure disorders and cancer.

In June, Governor
Rick Scott signed into law Senate Bill 1030, nicknamed “The Charlottes Web bill,”
that allows for the extraction of non-psychoactive cannabinoids into a
concentrate for distribution to a limited group of patients. Governor Scott had
come under a lot of criticism from patients who don’t qualify under the law due
to the restrictive nature of the rules for production, processing and retailing
of the medicine. Floridians will have a chance to expand this legislation this
November when they vote on Amendment 2, which will expand the list of ailments,
diseases and disorders in which physicians can prescribe cannabis for.

One of Florida’s
most prominent attorneys, John Morgan, has pledged over $6 million of his own
money to help get medical cannabis legalized in Florida for Amendment 2 in
November. With the third largest population in the United States and also one
of the largest density of elderly people, Florida has the potential to swing
the entire south on the topic of medical cannabis, just like they do in presidential
elections.

Business
owners, patients, retirees and even young adults are getting excited about the
potential for jobs, money and community safety if their medical cannabis laws
become expanded this November. But Florida faces some serious issues when it
comes to production, processing and retailing of cannabis for medicinal needs. Florida
is hot and humid, which means indoor grows are going to require a lot of air
conditioning and dehumidification to fight mold and mildew. These two
environmental controls are extremely expensive to manage and will play a major
factor in the cost of production of medical grade cannabis in Florida. Outdoors,
Florida can have four growing seasons for year-round production of medicine and
longer proper flowering periods for more pure sativa strains.

Processors
of oils, edibles and tinctures are predominant in Washington, California and
Colorado, and the wealth of knowledge of different styles of extraction methods
has tended to stay there due to the more liberal laws of these states surrounding
cannabis. Floridians are going to have to catch up and learn quickly, which
means that a lot of professionals from the west are going to have to migrate
east, or schools will have to be established to properly train employees in the
industry.

There are
plenty of cannabis seminars, schools and crash courses popping up all over, and
people are doling out a lot of cash to learn how to become part of the
burgeoning medical cannabis industry. With high hopes and little knowledge,
many folks are left scratching their heads when it comes down to the actual business
and production of medical cannabis and the ancillary businesses surrounding it.
Businessmen like Tom Quigley and the Florida Cannabis Coalition (FCC) have
stepped in to help provide the proper information and networking needed to
enter this new market.

The FCC held
its third networking and educational event on July 11 in Boca Raton, Florida. A
group of diverse individuals spoke to hundreds of eager listeners including
Harborside Health Center’s Senior Advisor Sue Taylor, The CannaMoms who
represent parents with children who need access to medical cannabis and many
others like Tony Gallo who spoke about dispensary security and safety when it
comes to handling cash and product.

One group
that is making a huge impact with their story—especially on legislators—are The
CannaMoms. These mothers have come together to raise awareness and educate
people on the positive effects that cannabis can have on children who struggle
with disorders that can cause hundreds of seizures a day. Women made a major
positive impact on the legalization of alcohol during prohibition and were
essentially the driving force for the passage of the 21st Amendment. Now that
history is repeating itself, women are again becoming the major factor in
creating a system that is not only regulated but also compassionate.

While
Florida has many obstacles to over come, both culturally and environmentally,
it does hold potential to help push the few final blocks of resistance over for
medical cannabis. With a large patient base and many baby boomers settling into
retirement, keep your eye on Florida as it will become a hot spot for cannabis
production, tourism and business growth in the near future.