The Florida Department of Health’s (DOH) top priority is the health and safety of Florida’s families. Through the DOH Office of Medical Marijuana Use (OMMU), we are working diligently every day to implement the many requirements in Amendment 2 and those set by the Florida Legislature in Senate Bill 8A and are dedicated to ensuring patients have safe access to low-THC cannabis and medical marijuana.
We remain committed to moving this process forward, and will do so in an expedient and thoughtful manner. To keep the public informed of the latest updates, DOH will issue a weekly update on this issue.
OMMU by the Numbers
Patients in the Registry: 54,251*
Processing Time for Complete Paper Application: 30 days
Qualified Physicians: 1,233
Processing Time for Complete Online Application: 18 days
Approved Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers: 13
Approved ID Card Applications: 34,197*
Approved Retail Dispensing Locations: 22
Implementation Updates
• Card Program – On Tuesday Nov. 21, the department executed the contract with Veritec Solutions, LLC, to outsource the Medical Marijuana Use Identification Card Program. OMMU has immediately begun work to transition the program to Veritec.
• On September 28, 2017, the Florida Medical Association and Florida Osteopathic Medical Association issued the new course titled Florida Physician Medical Marijuana Course. All physicians who previously qualified to order medical marijuana are required to take the new course by December 26, 2017.
• Notice of Proposed Rule 64-4.013 – Pesticide Use on Marijuana has been submitted and was published in the Florida Administrative Registry on November 22, 2017.
*Note, not all patients entered into the medical marijuana use registry apply for medical marijuana use identification cards.
Legal Updates
The implementation of Amendment 2 and Senate Bill 8A continues to be frequently litigated. While some of these lawsuits have little impact on our progress, others – particularly those regarding the constitutionality of the law we are tasked with executing – have significant impact on DOH’s ability to implement certain requirements of Senate Bill 8A.
Home Grow
Redner v. DOH, et. al., 13th Judicial Circuit Case No. 17-CA-5677
Smoking Ban
People United for Medical Marijuana v. DOH, et. al., 2d Judicial Circuit Case No. 2017-CA-1394
Constitutionality of Black Farmers Provision 381.986(8)(a)2 F.S.
Smith v. DOH, 2d Judicial Circuit Case No. 2017–CA-001972
Awaiting injunction hearing to be scheduled
Constitutionality of Citrus Farmers Provision 381.986(8)(a)3 F.S.
Tropiflora, LLC v. DOH, 2d Judicial Circuit Case No. 2016-CA-1330
Awaiting injunction hearing to be scheduled
MMTC Licensure
Nature’s Way v. DOH Case No. 17-5801
General Background Information
Medical Marijuana ID Card Application Process: Once a patient has been diagnosed by a qualified ordering physician and entered into the Medical Marijuana Use Registry, they can immediately begin the identification card application process. The department encourages applicants to complete the process online as this decreases processing time. Patients receive an email from OMMU once their email is added to the registry by their qualified ordering physician which directs them to the application. Once an application is reviewed and approved, patients receive an approval email which can be used to fill an order at an approved MMTC while they await their physical card.
Medical Marijuana Use Registry: All orders for medical marijuana are recorded and dispensed via the Medical Marijuana Use Registry. The Medical Marijuana Use Registry is accessible online, with real time information to ordering physicians, law enforcement and medical marijuana treatment center staff. Patients and caregivers may also access the Medical Marijuana Use Registry to submit a Medical Marijuana Use Registry Identification Card application, and check the status of their application.
Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers: Approved medical marijuana treatment centers are the only businesses allowed to grow, process, or sell medical marijuana in Florida. Each medical marijuana treatment center must receive authorization at three stages, (1) cultivation authorization, (2) processing authorization, and (3) dispensing authorization, prior to dispensing low-THC cannabis or medical marijuana. Medical marijuana cannot be mailed.
Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers
Trulieve
Tallahassee, Tampa, Clearwater, Pensacola, Miami, Edgewater, Lady Lake, Jacksonville, St. Petersburg, Bradenton, Fort Myers, Gainesville, delivery
Surterra Therapeutics
Tallahassee, Tampa, delivery
Curaleaf
Miami, Kendall, delivery
Knox Medical
Tallahassee, Gainesville, Orlando, Jacksonville, Lake Worth, St. Petersburg, delivery
Aphria
Dispensing via delivery
The Green Solution
Dispensing via delivery
GrowHealthy
Dispensing via delivery
3 Boys Farm N/A
Loop’s Nursery & Greenhouses, Inc.
Cultivation Authorization only
Plants of Ruskin, Inc.
Cultivation Authorization only
Sunbulb Company, Inc. N/A
Treadwell Nursery
Cultivation Authorization only
Keith St. Germain Nursery Farms N/A
