Some of Florida’s medical marijuana producers are calling for the state to get serious about setting the rules regarding the production and sale of edible pot products.
A report from the Sun Sentinel indicates that Surterra Florida, one of the largest medical marijuana companies doing business in the Sunshine State, is now pressuring health officials to begin crafting the rules associated with edible marijuana.
Over the summer, the state legislature passed a law during a special session that gives pot sellers all across the state the freedom to sell edible pot products, such as infused candies and baked goods. However, before any of the state’s pot businesses can begin slinging these types of products, the Department of Health must determine the legal parameters, such as “shapes, forms, and ingredients allowed and prohibited.”
Until the rules are established, the law dictates that no cannabis edibles can be put on the market – restricting the types of cannabis products that patients have access to.
“Many patients have been seeking edible products because it is the best format for them to find relief,” Surterra Florida President Wesley Reynolds said in a statement. “Surterra Wellness has and will continue to fight for access to medical cannabis, and this is just a continuation of that cause. The more available options for people, the more likely they will be able to use a cannabis product instead of highly addictive and easily abused opiates.”
State health officials say they had every intention of getting to the rule-making phase for pot edibles before Surterra filed the petition.
Mara Gambineri, a spokesperson for the department explained that, “there's so much in (the law) that we are working through. We don't have an exact timeline for each rule.”
In a separate report, Gambineri said the department was working to ensure the process moves along as quickly as possible.
The law “directs the department to create rules related to edible marijuana products and we fully intend on following the law,” Gambineri told the Miami Herald. “We remain committed to moving this process forward, and will do so in an expedient and thoughtful manner.”
Nevertheless, Suterra says its petition was designed to “jump start” the process.
