The ban on smokable medical marijuana has officially gone up in smoke as of today, June 11, 2018. This is a victory for the majority of voters who were in favor of passing the new Florida marijuana laws. The next logical question is – “How does this affect me?”. Let’s take a look. Just because it’s legal doesn’t mean it’s available. This is an important point that has, unfortunately, been lost among all the other excitement and news. Yes, the judge overruled a ban on smoking medical marijuana in Florida. That much is true. However, the Florida Department of Health still has several months of work to do before you can buy smokable cannabis products at a dispensary. What this means is, legal medical marijuana ID card or not, if you’re found smoking or carrying part of the cannabis plant, you are subject to criminal prosecution. This will be true until the FDOH comes up with the list of regulations regarding its cultivation, distribution, and purchase. Without receipts, even products bought legally can lead to trouble. Florida marijuana laws state that patients must be able to produce an accurate receipt or certificate stating exactly where the marijuana came from along with other identifying papers. This can only be done by having a medical marijuana doctor in Florida add you to the state’s registry and update it with your personalized cannabis recommendation. In other words, cops know there’s nowhere to buy it legally right now and have the ability to give you a fine and/ or arrest you for it. Other new Florida marijuana laws cover who is able to cultivate and grow the plant. The list is very short and there is a lot of red tape and legal hoops to jump through to get it. In fact, some of the Florida marijuana laws call for a multi-year license just to qualify to apply. The laws more or less state that if you haven’t been a registered grower for over a decade (a grower’s nursery must be at least 30 years old), you won’t even be considered. This heavily limits who can actually grow their own cannabis products to sell legally to registered patients. Residential grow houses and personal cultivation are illegal. However, it appears that the lift of the ban on smoking was just the tip of the iceberg. You can expect more flexibility and changes to Florida marijuana laws to be on the ballot, soon. Dosing is determined by a doctor, not you. In the meantime, the best way to go about getting the medicine is talking to a certified cannabis physician. Their professional expertise and medical experience combined with a compassion to help those who are suffering will help you get what you need legally. The most common and popular selections include oils for vaping and edibles for eating. Remember, if a doctor or someone else claims to sell smokable weed legally, you’re being lied to. Don’t become a victim and have your medical condition taken advantage of. Read Facts & Myths: All You Need to Know About Marijuana in Florida for more useful information. For a chance to talk with a certified medical marijuana doctor regarding your condition, follow Woodstock Medicinal Doctors of Florida on social media and look out for a free medical marijuana seminar near you. Facebook | Twitter | YouTube Florida Marijuana Laws
Facts & Myths: All You Need to Know About Marijuana in Florida
Immediately after Florida residents voted in favor of passing Amendment 2, demand for marijuana in Orlando skyrocketed. There are roughly 118,000 patients and nearly 3,000 doctors in the official registry for medicinal cannabis in Florida, according to the Florida Department of Health. The FDOH also claims there are just over 94,000 patients who’ve received their Florida medical marijuana ID cards. With so many people already registered, it’s easy to presume the process to get prescribed medical marijuana in Orlando is quick and easy. Physicians certified to register patients and dispensaries selling the medicine are seen advertising on buses, billboards, and in other prominent locations. Florida marijuana is also in the news just about every day now. There are even “Don’t Drive Baked” commercial campaigns running in primetime spots on most major TV networks. So what’s the state of marijuana in Florida actually look like? Let’s break down some key facts and myths to clarify the subject. Here’s all you need to know about marijuana in Orlando and cannabis in Florida: Medical marijuana is legal. Recreational marijuana is illegal. Pot enthusiasts have been using marijuana for both medicinal and recreational purposes for centuries. Most historians agree the first recorded use of cannabis as a medicine was in 2737 BC, though hemp cord can be traced back over 10,000 years. Cannabis in Florida can only be used for medicinal purposes. In 2012, Colorado and Washington both legalized recreational use. Since then, more states have legalized recreational use or begun drafting legislation to do so. Florida is not one of them, but there is a lot of speculation about a vote coming in 2020. There is a battle for the ban on smoking medical marijuana in Florida. Even though medical marijuana is now legal, smoking the medicine was made illegal by Gov. Rick Scott in June 2017. This ban specifically prevented the sale of smokable products – namely the cannabis plant itself. Citing potential health risks, the only way to legally purchase and use the herb was through vaping, oils, edibles, sprays, and tinctures. On June 11, a stay on the ban of smoking medical marijuana is set to be lifted. The ban was deemed unconstitutional but is still currently on hold due to appeals. Unless something major happens before then, smoking medical marijuana is legal beginning June 11. Smokable medical marijuana is not available for legal purchase – yet. Even with the ban on smoking medical weed lifted, legally buying it is still impossible. Treatment centers should begin carrying smokable products fairly soon, though. The legislation process can finally begin, but it will take the FDOH several months to determine the rules for cultivating, distributing, and selling smokable cannabis. If a treatment center, dispensary, or doctor claims otherwise, you are being lied to. Having a qualifying medical condition does not make marijuana use legal. The marijuana culture has long been a victim of misinformation. The community of people interested in marijuana in Orlando is no different. It can be easy to misinterpret headlines like “Smoking marijuana now legal in Florida.” or “Judge lifts ban on smoking pot for patients with these medical conditions.” To be clear, marijuana in Orlando is not legal without a certified doctor’s approval (even if you are using it as medicine). Without taking the right steps, carrying and using weed still carries potential criminal charges, regardless of how serious your condition is. As the Florida Department of Health states, “Only qualified physicians are permitted to certify patients for medical marijuana use.” Read more about the approved conditions that qualify patients for medical marijuana here. Fraudulent practices relating to pot are on the rise. The American marijuana industry is a multi-billion dollar industry that shows no signs of slowing down. Financial experts generally project the legal weed industry to double in growth over the next year and reach roughly $40 billion dollars in sales in North America by the year 2021. And where there’s cash, there’s opportunity. Unfortunately, this level of opportunity attracts unsavory people looking to make money off people’s suffering. Scams and frauds related to marijuana in Orlando are becoming more and more common. In fact, the Florida Department of Health recently released a statement that specifically addressed the growing problem. Here are some tips to avoid having your medical condition taken advantage of: Legitimate marijuana doctors do not market their services through unassociated social media accounts or randomly target patients online. Online medical marijuana certification does not exist. You are required to meet with the physician in person. It is illegal for a certified physician to have any financial ties to local dispensaries, marijuana treatment centers, or other places that cultivate, distribute, or sell medical marijuana. This includes renting office space. Offices that conduct video telemedicine or allow non-physician healthcare workers (including nurses and physician’s assistants) to certify patients do so illegally and are quickly shut down. When this happens you will be forced to find another physician and pay the initial cost for new patients again. Alleged offers claiming quick, official certifications to grow marijuana legally are fake. Patients are not allowed to cultivate or grow marijuana in Florida. Officially certified physicians qualified to make cannabis referrals must be registered and can be searched for in the medical marijuana registry database. Read Floridians Reminded to Avoid Medical Marijuana Practices for more information. Contact us if you have any other questions or visit Woodstock of Medicinal Doctors of Florida for more information. To schedule an appointment with our Orlando medical marijuana referral center, call 407-965-5967. Facebook | Twitter | YouTube Marijuana in Orlando
Floridians Reminded to Avoid Medical Marijuana Scams
Communications Office – Florida Department of Health Tallahassee, Fla.— In light of recent news regarding the disbarment of a lawyer involved in medical marijuana scams, the Florida Department of Health is reminding Florida residents to use caution to avoid falling victim to medical marijuana scams. In this case, individuals were offering “official legal certifications” for marijuana use to patients as well as “grow signs” allegedly permitting patients to grow their own marijuana. Below are tips to help protect you from scams involving medical marijuana. Only approved medical marijuana treatment centers are authorized in Florida to dispense medical marijuana to qualified patients and legal representatives. Patients are not allowed to grow marijuana in Florida. Only qualified physicians are permitted to certify patients for medical marijuana use. Qualified physicians can be searched THE ABOVE STATEMENT WAS PUT OUT BY THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH Now let’s focus on the fraud being committed by Medical Marijuana Certification Centers and a number of qualifying physicians A certifying doctor becomes an “expert” after taking a one hour, online course.Woodstock Physicians and Staff and are required to attend mandatory educational updates and courses. And, we have already treated 1000’s of clients. We are physicians who have expertise in incorporating medicinal marijuana into your medical regimens. Many others are rubber stamp marijuana doctors. For example, a representative of a certification center in Longwood actually has targeted our Facebook page to advertise their facility on our page. How can you trust such a facility? A certifying doctor must conduct a direct, physically present, history and physical for not just initial certification, but for all visits. At Woodstock, our once a year, low certification fee permits our patient’s unlimited physician calls and visits as well as all medicinal marijuana orders. Other certification offices conduct illegal video-telemedicine, certification by non-physician healthcare workers – such as nurses and physicians’ assistants. A certifying doctor may not have a business relationship with a dispensary. It is illegal to lease office space in or directly adjacent to a dispensary. Woodstock has no relationship with any dispensary. There are a number of physicians currently renting office space from dispensaries. This illegal practice is no different than a doctor with financial ties to a pharmaceutical company. And we know what this type of relationship produces