Since Florida’s medical cannabis program began in 2017, just under 250,000 residents have received MMJ licenses
That’s more than twice the amount of MMJ patients that there was this time last year.
The state’s medical cannabis industry is expected to surpass the billion-dollar mark by 2020, with over 100 dispensaries approved for service and over 2,000 qualifying physicians prescribing the versatile plant
Locally, there are now six medical cannabis dispensaries with at least four more on the way in the next year or so
Medical cannabis is here, and it’s here to stay
Local doctors have already begun adjusting to the changing landscape. Dr. Rene Pulido began prescribing cannabis to cancer patients at his clinic, Emed Specialty Group, before deciding to launch a new branch of his clinic dedicated to medical cannabis.
“I’ve been working to help my community for the last ten years and this is one of those rare breakthrough treatments that can improve lives without potential strong side effects,” says Dr. Pulido. “Many medications come with strong side effects or risk of addiction and that makes every prescription a balancing act. Being able to offer this treatment for
All of these changes have come about quite rapidly, and as a result, there are still plenty of questions and misunderstandings about medical cannabis.
Separating fact from fiction isn’t always easy, so we’ve taken a few common questions and concerns about medical cannabis and done our best to help set the record straight.
Research into medical cannabis has been limited by federal laws, but you don’t have to look very hard to find plenty of anecdotal stories of cannabis being just as effective, if not more effective, than traditionally-prescribed drugs
Many MMJ patients have switched from powerful opioids to cannabis – both pain patients and those who suffered from opioid dependency. Limited research, including a study by researchers at
For physicians like Dr. Pulido, the best evidence they can get comes in the form of the direct results they’re seeing.
“The actual meaningful relief that I see daily for many of my