On August 18, Trulieve opened their second medical cannabis dispensary in Florida. The new spot is located at 24761 US Highway 19 North #630 in Clearwater. The dispensary will provide low THC and high THC medical cannabis to those listed on the Florida Department of Health’s Compassionate Use Registry. Patients must be registered after visiting with a physician and are eligible if they suffer from epilepsy, severe seizures or muscle spasms, cancer, or are deemed “terminally ill.”

“As the first licensee to not only receive authorization to dispense but to open our doors, and make the first sale of any kind, it is also exciting to open our second dispensary so quickly,” said Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers in a release. “We are also delivering statewide and plan to have several more locations come online this year.”

New locations are in the works for St. Pete, Bradenton, Miami and Orlando. In 2014, there was a strong push in the St. Pete community to approve full legalization of medical marijuana in the state. The Cannabis Carreer Institute held several seminars in the St. Pete area to help educate entrepreneurs on the rules and regulations in the medical dispensary business. Florida, the third most populous state in the US, could serve as a huge source of revenue for those looking to create/produce medical cannabis in innovative ways.  

Michael Aulsen of the Miami Herald reports that "there will be as much as $4.3 billion in retail sales of the drug this year. And that could double by 2019 if states like Florida and Ohio legalize medical marijuana." Aulsen continues, "Currently, one type of cannabis is legal in Florida. It’s low in THC and is used for children with conditions like cancer and severe epilepsy." The current issue in Florida for patients who qualify is finding doctors willing to participate in the program. 

In March of this year Governor Rick Scott signed HB307 which slightly expanded the accessibility of the medicine to Florida residents. This November, Florida voters will once again have the opportunity to vote on full legalization of medical cannabis in the state. 57% of voters in the state approved cannbis for medical use in 2014, falling just short of the required 60%. For more information on Amendment 2 you can visit the Medical Marijuana Policy Project.