The benefits of medical marijuana are undeniable. It’s used to treat a vast number of illnesses and serves as a great alternative to traditional medicine.
Folks in the Sunshine State can now benefit from medical marijuana, and if you’ve been considering applying for a medical marijuana card in Florida, here are five facts you need to know.
- It’s a relatively complicated process
As it is in any bureaucracy, paperwork is paramount, and the process of applying for your medical marijuana card in Florida is no different.
You’ll need to meet with a licensed medical marijuana doctor in Florida to get qualified and diagnosed, which comes with a load of paperwork you’ll have to fill out.
Speaking with an expert from the start will help you through the entire process tremendously. If you’d like more information on whether or not you qualify for a medical marijuana card in Florida, you can check out this page on Veriheal.
- Medical insurance won’t cover it
While the Constitution of the State of Florida recognizes marijuana as a medicine, you won’t be able to find any health insurance to cover the costs of it because it’s still illegal to the Federal Government.
Luckily, the costs associated with doctor evaluations, state application fees, and the medicine itself are relatively low when compared to treatments sponsored by Big Pharma.
However, the cost of medical marijuana products can be upwards of $1000 in a 35-day period, if you utilize your prescription to it’s limit. There are more affordable medical marijuana products available (as little as $12 per gram of cannabis flower), you just need to shop around to find the best deals!
- Not everyone qualifies
Before getting your medical marijuana card in Florida, you have to meet certain conditions. The conditions for which medical marijuana is prescribed in Florida are as follows:
- Cancer
- Epilepsy
- Glaucoma
- HIV+
- AIDS
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
- Crohn’s disease
- Parkinson’s disease
- Multiple sclerosis
- Medical conditions of the same kind or class as or comparable to those listed
- Terminal illness
- Chronic nonmalignant pain
Recognizing the diverse array of issues people face, the state legislature provided, “Medical conditions of the same kind or class as or comparable to those listed,” as a way to give marijuana doctors more flexibility in prescribing medicine.
The best way to know if you qualify is to speak with an expert!
- You have to get all of your marijuana from a dispensary
While having a medical marijuana card gives you the freedom to smoke pot whenever you need it, you still have to purchase it from a licensed dispensary.
Your medical marijuana must always be kept in the packaging from your dispensary as well. You might be able to smoke weed, but that doesn’t mean you can legally purchase it from an underground source.
Traveling throughout the state of Florida with your medical marijuana is legal as long as you don’t medicate using high THC products in public places, and your cannabis products are kept in the packaging provided by your dispensary.
This, along with your medical marijuana card, helps law enforcement differentiate between legal and illegal marijuana consumption. You MUST provide your Medical Marijuana Use Registry identification card if asked by law enforcement
- Medical Marijuana in Florida comes with some freedom and responsibility
Unlike many other prescribed medications you may have taken in the past, medical marijuana often comes with the responsibility of creating your own schedule of medication.
It’s not like going to the pharmacy and following the instructions on the bottle. When you have a medical marijuana card, you’re able to go to a dispensary and choose from any number of different marijuana products from medium grade cannabis flower to oils, edibles, and concentrates.
There’s a limit to how much you’re able to purchase in a 35-day period, but in Florida, this limit is extremely high (2.5 ounces of smokable marijuana), and you’re not likely to exceed it -even if medicating daily.
Conclusion
Medical Marijuana is relatively new in the State of Florida, but that doesn’t mean you can’t stay a step ahead of the application process.
Navigating the medical marijuana industry can be daunting for new users, but as long as you speak with a professional and ensure that all of your paperwork is filled out properly, you’ll be registered and can get life-changing treatment in no time!
