The race to grow low potency marijuana & the slow pace of researchers who want to know why smoking it makes people feel better. The first step proposed by Florida lawmakers was to all but eliminate the compound responsible for inducing a pleasurable state after “being prescribed” the controversial substance.
We already know what recent polls have confirmed; a vast majority of Floridians will support medical marijuana when it is readdressed in 2016. The fact is by this time next year, marijuana will be widely doled out by physicians carrying the special license required to prescribe it.
Currently, the state is considering a low potency form of the drug only. The goal is to minimize the euphoric effects commonly experienced by recreational pot smokers and produce a low THC pharmaceutical grade product. Contrary to popular belief, prescription marijuana is to be grown within the state of Florida and under strict guidelines. “Only five nurseries will be licensed to grow cannabis” claims Drug Crime Defense Lawyer William Moore. The cost of an administrative agency to oversee the production phase is expected to cost several million dollars annually. The revenue to the will be in the billions.
Over 100 nurseries have applied for the handful of growing licenses that will be issued based on predetermined geographical regions. The Florida State Health Department will only consider long-standing businesses with decades of experience and a history of legal commercial plant production. Applicants will have to show a history of almost a half-million plants grown annually. The fee for application is in excess of $50,000.00. Nurseries selected will be licensed to grow strains that are low in Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Advocates for the legalization of marijuana argue that THC, the compound responsible for the euphoric effect of marijuana, is the active ingredient required by patients expected to be prescribed the drug.
Little is understood about what it is exactly about marijuana that alleviates pain and promotes appetite for those suffering from debilitating illnesses. Cannabis has been classified by the United States federal government as a drug without any medical use for decades. Very little research has been conducted with regard to if, how or why it helps patients suffering from serious conditions… the legalization of medical marijuana in certain states throughout the nation has started the ever-so-slow process of researching just what it is about smoking pot that seems to alleviate pain suffered by those who have been diagnosed with cancer, epilepsy or similar conditions.
It may seem strange but the FDA has not approved marijuana as a safe and effective drug for any medical condition. In a formal statement however, the organization publicly stated that it is aware that there is considerable interest in its use to attempt to treat a number of medical conditions.
“Good to know that the Food & Drug Administration is aware that people who have known only sickness and suffering are interested in smoking some pot. Years from now perhaps a scientist in a lab coat conducting FDA supported research is going to look up from a bubbling beaker and suggest to the rest of the team ‘Hey guys, I really think it’s the THC that made these patients feel better… now if we could only find out what brought on the sudden appetite for buffalo wings and pizza.” – William R. Moore, Marijuana Defense Lawyer in Fort Lauderdale.
Author Alexandria Klimowicz