The addition of edibles to Florida’s medical marijuana market could boost a projected near-$1 billion in 2020 cannabis sales by 20 percent, or $200 million, industry analysts said.
The Florida Office of Medical Marijuana Use (OMMU) released long-awaited guidelines for medical marijuana edibles Wednesday night, three years after voters approved a constitutional amendment legalizing medical marijuana and one year after state lawmakers lifted a ban on smokable medical marijuana.
How quickly edibles will be available is uncertain because the products also will require approval from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, which oversees food safety, including for edible medical marijuana products.
Parallel Florida LLC, Curaleaf, VidaCann and Trulieve already have received approval to start manufacturing edible products, Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried said in a statement, noting edibles provide patients with “another option.”
“Every single patient is different, as far as how their body reacts to this medicine. Some patients can’t swallow pills. Some may have lung cancer and can’t use flower,” she said. “So, this is another alternative to so many patients who may need their medicine but need it in alternative forms.” [Read more at The Apopka Voice]