Medical cannabis edibles are now available in Florida, nearly four years after voters approved the reforms, the Orlando Sentinel reports. State cannabis regulators approved edibles for use in the medical cannabis program last month.
Voters had approved a constitutional amendment to legalize medical cannabis in 2016. Lawmakers included edibles in their version of the law, but the products had been on hold until regulations were developed. Under the rules, edibles are not allowed to be in shapes that could appeal to children or resemble “commercially available candy.” They also cannot include toppings such as icing or sprinkles.
In a statement, Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers said it was important to get “non-inhalation options” to patients. Trulieve has the most dispensaries in Florida and has started carrying chocolate bars and brownies.
“Immediately after initial approvals came in, we focused on ramping up production to ensure consistent statewide distribution. We’re excited to be expanding access to the types of medications patients have available to them and look forward to broadening our product line over the next few months.” – Rivers in a press release via the Sentinel
In addition to Trulieve, Curaleaf, Surterra, and VidaCann have been awarded licenses by the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to produce edibles for medical cannabis patients.
As of September 11, there were more than 411,000 registered patients in the state, according to Office of Medical Marijuana Use figures outlined by the Sentinel. The total represents a 37 percent increase from around 299,000 patients at the start of the year.
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