Florida politicians passed a CBD only medical marijuana bill last year. So far, not one patient has been helped by the legislation. I like CBD for patients, but I don’t like when a state’s medical marijuana program only allows the use of CBD instead of the entire plant, and I really don’t like state medical marijuana programs that allow use of CBD, but have no means by which patients can legally acquire it. That seems to be the case with most CBD only programs.
Florida is one of those programs, and it sounds like there is another issue popping up that is going to prevent patients from being able to obtain CBD meds. Per Marijuana Business Daily:
This week, the commissioner of the state’s Department of Agriculture said he doesn’t want his agency to oversee quality control for Florida’s limited CBD industry, raising questions about who will actually take on that important task.
“We do not regulate pharmaceuticals or medicinals or vitamins or whatever marijuana is classified,” Commissioner Adam Putnam told the Palm Beach Post. “Our role…is limited to identifying nurseries who are eligible to bid on the job. Period.”
Florida has faced several setbacks as it tries to develop regulations and rules on the five companies that will eventually be allowed to produce high-CBD, low-THC medical products for a select number of qualifying patients. Previously, it had appeared that agriculture department officials would play a key role in ensuring that companies produce medical-grade cannabis.
Florida patients deserve a real medical marijuana program, one that allows the use of CBD as well as the rest of the plant. Florida’s current program isn’t helping anyone. It’s time that Florida politicians recognized that an overwhelming majority of Florida residents want a real medical marijuana program. If you live in Florida, contact your legislators as often as you can and remind them that there are suffering patients in Florida, and that they deserve safe, legal access to a medicine that is much safer than pharmaceuticals.