Fifty Florida nurseries are eligible to compete to become one of five regional growers of medical marijuana. That has fueled a frenzy of callers looking to partner with an eligible nursery in what will become Florida's newest legal crop, a limited, low-THC form of marijuana for medical purposes, the Miami Herald reports. It will be used for patients with seizures, severe and persistent muscle spasms and cancer. Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia have legalized use of some medical marijuana. Florida joined the group with the passage of the Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act this year.
The new law allows five medical marijuana dispensaries to cultivate marijuana low in tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the chemical that provides a euphoric high, but high in cannabidiol, or CBD, which can calm seizures. The plants will be processed into an oil form and taken orally. The law and speculation about Amendment 2, a proposed constitutional referendum set for a statewide vote in November that would expand the uses of medical marijuana in Florida, are attracting a slew of companies looking to do business in the state. They come brandishing cash and expertise, the tools they say will guarantee success in the expanding field.