Medical Marijuana Dispensary Asks for Official Edible Policy From Florida Authorities

shutterstock 563784121
shutterstock 563784121

Surterra Wellness, a medical marijuana dispensary in Florida wants clarity on marijuana edible regulations so they can begin providing them to their patients.

A petition has been filed with the Florida Department of Health by Surterra Wellness to get insight on medical marijuana edible rules. The tentative law requires that edible products must “discourage consumption of edibles by children” and that health administrators must decide “by rule any shapes, forms, and ingredients allowed and prohibited for edibles.” Colorado just implemented new edible packaging regulations aimed at preventing accidental child ingestion.

But sales of marijuana edible products are not permitted until all the regulations are finalized.

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“As such, patients receiving treatment from the petitioners’ medications are barred from doing so via the consumption of legally produced edibles,” an attorney for Surterra Wellness wrote in the petition to the health department.

The health department must release marijuana edible rules soon or they will have to provide a written statement explaining why they have not done so.

“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.”

The health department claims it was already planning on addressing the situation, even before the petition was filed.

Florida Department of Health Spokeswoman Mara Gambineri said the law “mandated that we have to create a rule on edibles, so we’ve already been planning on doing that,” she said. “It’s part of all of the rules and regs we’re working on right now.”

Gambineri could not identify when the regulations would be released.

“There’s so much in (the law) that we are working through. We don’t have an exact timeline for each rule,” she said.

Marijuana edibles are considered one of the healthiest options for patients who cannot inhale smoke or vapor.

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