As questions loom into how the medical marijuana industry will be regulated in Florida, we're taking you behind the scenes of how cannabis is cultivated, grown and extracted for oils to treat patients who qualify for it.
Surterra Therapeutics is one of six companies approved by the state of Florida to grow and dispense medical marijuana.
Recently, its spokesperson, Monica Russell, took us on a tour of its 6,000 square foot cultivation facility off the beaten path in Tallahassee. The facility's location is so secret, we were limited in what kinds of exterior shots we could shoot so the location would not be revealed.
But inside, we were granted full access. See how cannabis plants go from roots to buds. Then, you'll watch how marijuana buds are extracted for its oils now being used, legally, to treat patients with debilitating conditions.
What we know now about medical marijuana in Florida
- 6 companies are approved to grow and dispense the crop as a drug for medical use
- 1300 patients are qualified to use medical marijuana for debilitating diseases such as cancer, epilepsy, HIV or AIDS, Chron's disease, Parkinson's disease and glaucoma
- 71 percent (6,518,919) of voters approved medical marijuana or Amendment 2.
- Amendment 2 officially becomes law in Florida on Jan. 3, 2017.
- Lawmakers have until October 2017 to sort of the details of regulation and implementation
- The Florida office in charge of medical marijuana is called the Office of Compassionate Use and is located within the state Department of Health
- Florida joins 27 other states that have legalized marijuana for medical treatment
- Medical marijuana is expected to be a billion dollar industry in Florida by 2020.
