Pensacola has several medical marijuana dispensaries. Here's a list

Edward Bunch III, Pensacola News Journal
·3 min read
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Medical marijuana use has become a polarizing topic of future legislation across the U.S. Only 24 states in the nation have adopted laws which fully legalize cannabis use while the rest have wrestled with the potential consequences of such legislation.

Last October, the Pew Research Center conducted a survey which found that about 9 out of 10 U.S. adults believe that marijuana should be either medically or recreationally legalized and 59% believe it should be fully legalized.

Support of this legislation varies by personal factors like age, ethnic background and political party affiliation.

Florida is one of the 21 states adopting laws somewhat permitting the use of cannabis within the state. Prior to former Gov. Rick Scott's signing of the "Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act" in 2014, which permitted ill patients with certain medical conditions to utilize marijuana for relief, it was completely outlawed in Florida.

Scott's actions opened the door for future effort at legislation legalizing cannabis, such as 2015's "Right to Try Act" that attempted to expand the qualifying conditions under Scott's Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act and SB 182 that repeals the state's ban on smoking cannabis for patients, which Gov. DeSantis signed in 2019.

Today, Florida's cannabis laws allow for patients to purchase up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis within 35-day timeframe. Pensacola's first dispensary was Fluent Cannabis, which has two locations now, and the city has grown to more than a dozen options for patients to choose from.

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How do I become a medical marijuana patient in Florida?

To become a medical marijuana patient, a person's primary care physician must determine which of the qualifying conditions they fall under. The list of eligible conditions includes:

  • Cancer

  • HIV/AIDS

  • Crohn's disease

  • Parkinson's disease

  • Multiple sclerosis (MS)

  • Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)

  • Glaucoma

  • Epilepsy

  • Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

  • Any other medical condition which is chronic or debilitating and approved by a doctor.

Patients must also be Florida residents and pay both the physician's fees and the $75 fee for the medical marijuana card itself. Patients must recertify their condition with their physician every seven months and renew their card annually for $75 each instance.

Does Pensacola have marijuana dispensaries?

Pensacola has several dispensaries for medical marijuana:

Fluent

  • 500 E Chase St

  • 301 E Nine Mile Rd

Trulieve

  • 3119 N Davis Hwy

  • 1901 E Nine Mile Rd

Curaleaf

  • 5090 N Ninth Ave

MÜV Dispensary

  • 4785 N Ninth Ave

Green Dragon Cannabis

  • 920 N Navy Blvd

  • 701 E Nine Mile Rd

Surterra

5046 Bayou Blvd

Sunnyside Medical Cannabis Dispensary

  • 3900 Ninth Ave

  • 2122 W Nine Mile Rd

AYR Cannabis Dispensary

  • 7152 N Davis Hwy

  • 2146 W Nine Mile Rd

Sunburn Cannabis

  • 5048 Bayou Blvd

One Life One Plant

  • 116 E Gonzalez St Unit 2

MedMen

  • 5048 Bayou Blvd

Vidacann

  • 2401 Langley Avenue Unit A

GrowHealthy

  • 7817 N Davis Hwy

Liberty Health Sciences

  • 7152 N Davis Hwy Unit A

Will marijuana get legalized for recreational use in Florida?

It is currently uncertain whether recreational marijuana will become legalized in Florida yet. An initiative backed by Trulieve to get the policy choice on the state's 2024 ballot was approved after it received nearly a million signatures.

Signature gatherer in downtown Daytona Beach. He was working for a recreational marijuana amendment disallowed by the Florida Supreme Court in 2019.
Signature gatherer in downtown Daytona Beach. He was working for a recreational marijuana amendment disallowed by the Florida Supreme Court in 2019.

If the measure passes in next year's elections, Floridians 21 and older would be able to:

  • Purchase up to 3 ounces of marijuana at a time and no more than five grams of concentrates.

  • Transport, use and process marijuana.

  • Cultivate of up to nine live plants with a maximum of 18 per household.

  • Possess, use and display products containing marijuana.

The measure will not affect or repeal Florida's Drug-Free Workplace Act, or Florida Statutes 112.0455 2020.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Medical marijuana is sold in Pensacola,here's a list of dispensaries