JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Starting Monday, medical marijuana patients throughout Florida now have new limits controlling how much medicine they can be prescribed.
It’s part of a new emergency rule adopted by the Florida Office of Medical Marijuana Use, and advocates are worried the limits will drive more patients back to the black market.
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The legislature had ordered the agency to set new dosage limits to reign in what it saw as potentially irresponsible overprescribing by some doctors.
Under the rule, Florida’s 745,000 medical marijuana patients will now be limited to a maximum of 24,500 milligrams of THC every 70 days, or a maximum of 2.5 ounces of marijuana in its smokable form every 35 days.
The rule didn’t come as a surprise, but cannabis advocates like Jodie James weren’t expecting the limits to be so strict.
“Patients are settling in and finding out what they need, and they woke up this morning and their supply has been cut in a third,” said James.
James, President of the Florida Cannabis Action Network, fears patients in the most need will now either have to go without or find other means of getting their medicine.
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“It’s arming and emboldening a black market,” said James.
The limits set up in the rule equate to 350 milligrams of THC per day.
Josephine Cannella-Krehl, head of clinical community relations for Flowery Dispensary, said while that may sound like a lot, patients who use multiple forms of medical marijuana in conjunction with one another could quickly find themselves maxing out.
“So, a patient who uses inhalation at the maximum levels is now not even going to be eligible to qualify to use a topical,” said Cannella-Krehl.
James told us her biggest concern is how the limits will be enforced.
“And we want to make sure that our patients who are trying to do the right thing never have to wonder about whether or not they have too much medicine and they’re over their legal limits or worse that they’re not going to get enough medicine,” said James.
Both advocates indicated they believe the new restrictions could drum up support for full legalization.
There are currently two active citizen initiatives aimed at putting the legalization of recreational marijuana on the 2024 ballot.
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