Deerfield, Florida has elected to allow medical marijuana treatment centers to setup within city limits, helping to fill the the massive gap of dispensaries in southern Florida. The state allows towns to outright ban any MMTCs or to zone them like pharmacies, which some city commissions have expressed frustration over not having more control.
While Florida is expecting the amount of medical marijuana patients to increase substantially, many residents still seem to be confused about what is involved in the process of receiving a compassionate use card or how to go about purchasing medical cannabis. Do you have any questions about how to become a Florida medical marijuana patient?
Deerfield Beach is willing to welcome medical marijuana dispensaries in its borders, the City Commission decided in a split vote Tuesday night.
In a 3-2 vote, a proposed ban on the dispensaries failed after a passionate discussion that included one commissioner admitting to baking illegal marijuana into brownies for his dying father.
“The last six months of his life were peaceful,” said Commissioner Bernie Parness, describing his father’s three years of suffering from blood cancer. “I saw what marijuana did.”
State voters approved legalizing medical marijuana, with Amendment 2 and, as a result, state legislators gave communities two options. They could either ban dispensaries outright or allow them with rules no more restrictive than they impose on corner drug stores.
The Palm Beach County Commission and the Dania Beach Commission agreed last month week to allow medical marijuana dispensaries wherever pharmacies are allowed.
However, Boca Raton, Coral Gables, Coral Springs, Delray Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Sunrise and West Palm Beach have moratoriums on the dispensaries in place.
Hundreds of doctors in Florida are now certified to recommend medical marijuana for patients, and one of the biggest concentrations is in South Florida.
Palm Beach County ranks sixth of Florida’s 67 counties for the number of qualified doctors per resident. Miami-Dade County is ninth and Broward…
Commissioner Todd Drosky, who was joined by Vice Mayor Joe Miller in supporting the ban, lamented that the Legislature had left them with few options. And that being one of the few cities to allow it might attract more outlets than they want.
“We’re opening a Pandora’s Box,” Drosky said, pointing out that there was little information to go on.
Because legalized pot is a legal gray area, dispensaries operate on a cash-only basis, which could make them a target for thieves, it was pointed out.
Also, banks aren’t allowed to accept money from marijuana businesses because they’re still illegal at the federal level, so businesses can only accept cash, rather than credit card or insurance payments.