Florida patients hoping to get their hands on a recommendation to participate in the state’s new medical marijuana program may have a connection to lean on as early as next week.
According to a report from the Tallahassee Democrat, there is a new medical practice called the Medical Marijuana Treatment Center of Florida set to open its doors very soon in the state capital. The primary mission, according to the office’s primary principle, Dr. Joseph Dorn, is to assist patients in securing a certification to use medical marijuana.
In order to work solely with those folks interested in getting involved with the new comprehensive medical marijuana program, which was made possible through the passing of United for Care’s Amendment 2, Dorn said he was recently forced to vacate his position as Medical Director at Surterra Wellness, one of the state’s licensed low-THC peddlers.
“I saw a need where few physicians were interested in being qualified doctors to order this,” Dorn said. “I couldn’t perform that function while being medical director. I decided to go back to direct patient care, that’s my strong point.”
Although the state put a low-THC program into action earlier this year for patients suffering from cancer and epilepsy, Amendment 2 took the program to a whole other level by giving hundreds of thousands more people the ability to qualify for participation. This means at the beginning of 2017 (January 3) patients with 10 qualified conditions will be able to meet with their doctors to dicuss the possibility of using cannabis medicine.
But since the law goes against the grain of the federal government, there still are not too many physicians willing to provide recommendations. As of November, there were only around 400 doctors in the state that have met the requirements necessary to recommend medical marijuana. However, most of them are specialists, with very few practicing in family medicine. The new law requires patients to have at least a three-month relationship with a doctor before they can take advantage of the program.
In addition to its location in Tallahassee, Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers of Florida has two other locations in The Villages and Ponte Vedra. The center’s website indicates that locations will soon open up in Jacksonville, Panama City and Tampa.
