To the delight of both businesses and medical cannabis patients in Florida, medicinal edibles are now legal within the state.
In 2016, citizens of the Sunshine State voted to add an amendment to its constitution that would allow for the consumption of medicinal cannabis. However, not all forms of cannabis were initially available. It was only in 2019 that flower was deemed legal to smoke, when Governor Ron DeSantis voted to repeal a law banning this form of consumption.
And although legalized in 2017, edibles hadn’t hit the shelves of dispensaries until late summer 2020 because the Florida Office of Medical Marijuana Use (OMMU) had not released the necessary regulations to guide the manufacture, sale, and consumption of this form of cannabis.
The rules laid out by the OMMU are sensible, not overly burdensome, and seek to keep the public, especially children, safe. For example, edibles that resemble candies currently available on the market are banned under the new regulations. Additionally, OMMU regulations also stipulate “edibles shall be produced in a manner to minimize color intensity and other color and visual characteristics attractive to children.”
The OMMU also released specific potency rules. No single edible serving can have more than 10mg of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). And a product that contains multiple servings shall not have more than 200mg.
Other notable restrictions include banning colorants, natural or artificial, prohibition on the use of icing, sprinkles, and toppings, and a ban on the addition of fish, meat, or poultry.
Per the regulations, consumers have the option of choosing edibles in the following forms:
- Lozenges
- Gelatins
- Baked goods
- Chocolates
- Drink powders
Some analysts believe that the addition of edibles to the medical cannabis market could add over $200 million in revenue to the sector.
Image Credit: Alesia Kozik
Image Source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/brown-and-black-chocolate-cake-on-white-ceramic-plate-6072104/
