Northern Florida has been seeing medical marijuana dispensaries continuously popup in the region and five new licenses were just added. South Florida has not seen many dispensaries open as of so far and there are concerns of higher costs. There are two potential reasons for higher costs, but it is believed that more dispensaries will be opening eventually. With less dispensaries, then the lack of competition could have them raise prices with the demand that is anticipated. The other reason is that people are likely to have their medical marijuana delivered to them instead of going into the stores. Deliveries add on a delivery charge that can be somewhere around an extra $25.
Have you located the closest legal medical marijuana dispensary near you, or researched the delivery options that you have?
South Floridians could have to pay more than other Floridians for medical marijuana after the state awards five new grower licenses in the next week.
None of the new licenses are likely to be issued to South Florida, where many of the qualified patients live.
Zachary Davis, a lawyer for Keith St. Germain nursery in Homestead, said delivery costs mean South Florida could pay more for medical marijuana.
“You can transport it down here, but that’s gonna have a real cost,” he said. “And there’s security issues in transportation as well.”
The only grower located in the southeast region is Miami’s Costa Farms.
Right now, prices range from about $74 to $90 for a 600mg cartridge of marijuana extract meant to fit into a vape pen. Costs can vary depending on seller.
Florida employers should review workplace policies on “reasonable accommodation” and firing workers for use of medical marijuana, in light of a Massachusetts court ruling, say legal specialists at Kelley Kronenberg in Fort Lauderdale.
Florida employers should review workplace policies on “reasonable accommodation” and firing workers for use of medical marijuana, in light of a Massachusetts court ruling, say legal specialists at Kelley Kronenberg in Fort Lauderdale.
George Scorsis, CEO of Liberty Health Services, which has contracted to grow marijuana at Chestnut Hill Tree Farm in Alachua, counters that economies of scale will allow big growers elsewhere to drive down costs statewide.
“Our competitive advantage is that no one can grow at the cost structure we can grow,” he said. “Yes, there’s a one time start-up cost in terms of our facilities, but all of us have built into our structure. As we scale up, you’ll continue to see cost structures remain stable, if not drop or reduce.”
Would-be marijuana growers in South Florida concede that, between delivery and growers’ ability to open dispensaries anywhere in the state, patient access won’t be an issue despite no new growers in the state’s most populous region. Thirty percent of Floridians live in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.
“Right from the get-go, we will have four dispenasary-type models in the state,” Scorsis said. “With those four alone, I will be able to service anyone in Florida within a 24-hour window because deliveries are permitted.”
It’s the job opportunities and potential transportation costs baked into the price of marijuana that supporters point to as reasons for the state to give another license to a grower in South Florida.