Waiting for weed: don't expect smokable medical marijuana right away

Jeffrey Schweers, Tallahassee Democrat Published 6:30 p.m. ET March 15, 2019 | Updated 8:40 p.m. ET March 15, 2019

Don’t toke that medicinal marijuana joint just yet.

The battle is over, the smoke has cleared on giving patients permission to light up and inhale their medicinal herb, but that doesn’t mean you can rush to your neighborhood dispensary and grab some ganja any time soon.

Assuming Gov. Ron DeSantisdoes as he's indicated he would and signs SB 182 into law, lifting a state ban on smoking medical marijuana, it could take weeks or even months before rules are promulgated to make smokable medical marijuana available at state-approved dispensaries.

The Department of Health has a reputation for moving at a glacial pace when it comes to issuing rules. Some industry officials, however, said the green-light to sell smokable marijuana will happen sooner than later.

“We anticipate an expedited process from the Governor and the Department of Health as it relates to the approval of smokable, whole-flower cannabis,” said Kim Rivers, CEO of Trulieve, the state’s largest licensed medical marijuana grower and distributor.

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