Warning: Constant ABSPATH already defined in /home/flanews/public_html/wp-config.php on line 34
Capitol News Service » Blog Archive » Smokable Marijuana Only the First Step Towards Affordability

Welcome to

Capitol News Service

Florida's Best Political Coverage on Television

 


 


 


Recent Posts

RSS Quote of the Day

  • Charles Baudelaire
    "Everything that is beautiful and noble is the product of reason and calculation."
  • Wilson Mizner
    "The best way to keep your friends is not to give them away."
  • Benjamin Disraeli
    "Silence is the mother of truth."
  • H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
    "Never forget the three powerful resources you always have available to you: love, prayer, and forgiveness."

Smokable Marijuana Only the First Step Towards Affordability

March 15th, 2019 by Jake Stofan

The bill allowing patients to smoke medical marijuana is on the Governor’s desk, but patient access and affordability are still major issues plaguing the industry.

Some lawmakers believe the entire distribution system needs to be changed.

Patients will be able to smoke their medical marijuana, once the Governor signs the bill and agencies develop and implement rules…Likely by July first.

But State Representative Carlos Guillermo Smith says there’s still more work to be done.

“There’s sick patients out there right now who have not enrolled in the legal medical cannabis process or program. They are still buying cannabis on the street illegally because the legal way is too expensive,” said Smith.

Part of the cost patients face includes doctors visits every 210 days, plus $75 license renewals every year.

Loosening the burden on patients is one possibility, but Jeff Sharkey with the Medical Marijuana business association says the best solution is to create more completion in the market place.

“Insurance companies don’t offer a copay assistance with the doctor visitation, with the medicine itself,” said Sharkey.

Availability is limited due to a lack of licensed growers, only 14 in the state.

By law they have to control every aspect of the process from seed to sale, but doing away with the vertically integrated system would allow for more businesses to compete .

“If you want to be a retailer, if you want to be a processor, an extractor you can do that with a cultivator,” said Sharkey.

Lawmakers believe some changes will be made to the marijuana distribution system this year, but they also believe it will be a multi year effort.

There all is also a Legislative push to make it easier for banks to back medical marijuana companies.

Currently the industry is almost completely cash only.

Posted in State News | No Comments »

Comments are closed.

copyright © 2016 by Capitol News Service | Powered by Wordpress | Hosted by LyonsHost.com