So you've been approved for Medical Marijuana in Florida, hopefully you got your card from us!
Whats Next?
Now it's time to visit a dispensary, how do you know what to get, where they are, which ones the best, how much cash to bring? These are all good questions to ask and we will answer all of them.
1.) What is a dispensary?
In Florida our dispensaries are strictly for medical cannabis patients of Florida, no one without a card may enter or shop in them. A dispensary sells medical marijuana products such as topical creams infused with marijuana and CBD Oil, vaporizers, concentrates, flower or buds, transdermal patches, cannabis tinctures and oral sprays, and on and on and on...
2.) Where are they?
Florida dispensaries are all over the state, to see the full list of dispensaries and companies we have listed them all HERE.
3.) What to bring with you?
When you enter there is usually a separation between the store and the entrance, the staff will want to see Photo ID to confirm your identity, this can be your medical marijuana card issued by the state of Floridas health department, a Florida drivers license, or the print out email you can get from your online medical marijuana registrant profile. Your doctor should give you all this information when you sign up. After that you can enter the dispensary.
4.) How much do the products cost?
Each company is different, but the prices are pretty much the same with slight variations. The scale is about 100mg = $10, this means if you get a 250mg vaporizer cartridge it should cost about $25. The tinctures are usually $2/mL so a 30mL dropper bottle is about $50-60. Plan to bring $100-200 with you for the first visit so you can try out a few different products and see what works best for your specific case. Each dispensary has a first time discount for patients, so for example they might give you $50 off of any order above $100 which is a great deal.
5.) What products are best
This is a totally preference question of course, but for acute pain the vaporizers work best because they act fast. For chronic conditions a tincture or oral solution works very well since it last 4-8 hours. Topical creams work well on arthritis when paired with an oral CBD variety taken daily like a vitamin. Flower is always best for patients suffering from glaucoma because it is proven to lower the eye pressure better than anything else. Capsules work best for people dealing with cancer, radiation or chemotherapy because of the RSO extract. You really just have to test and discover your perfect blend.
6.) Which dispensary is the best?
Again, they all have their strong and weak points, for example Trulieve has the best selection of strain specific buds or flowers which they encourage you to vaporize from either a handheld vaporizer or a tabletop volcano style bag vaporizer. Surterra does a great job of providing a well rounded selection of terpene rich custom blended products which target the ailment and don't focus on the strain as much as the overall product. Knox has a limited supply but offers a very convenient upscale lounge and shopping environment, and very high quality products for slightly more money. Curaleaf is like a tasting bar for medical marijuana products offering a wide selection of low cost disposable vapes in many different strains, affordable concentrates and super helpful staff, they are usually very crowded so plan to wait there for a while. Vida-Cann is new to Florida but they offer the Stanley Brothers world famous Charlottes Web strain and will be specializing in edibles very soon through Marys Medicinals. Liberty Health Sciences has the feel of a very large pharmaceutical company and thats probably because they are owned by Aphria Pharmaceuticals, they provide a straightforward approach to medical cannabis here in Florida, free next day delivery right to your door anywhere in the state. Try them all and make your own decision.
7.) What about Veterans?
Most of the dispensaries give a 10-20% veterans discount on each order, and of course always extra savings during veterans related holidays. Be sure to show your VA ID. And Thank You especially from us!
8.) What should I start with?
I usually recommend my patients start with one Indica vape pen, one hybrid oral tincture, and one Indica oral syringe. This way they can get accustomed to the feel of medical marijuana products without suffering any of the intense sativa psychoactive effects. People who are well versed in marijuana or come from states where legalization has already been instated usually know what they prefer, but this is a good starting point for most cases to at-least get a feeling for the general product variance.
As always, we are available for consultations at 833-FL-GREEN or by visiting our downtown office at 224 Datura Street in beautiful downtown West palm Beach!
If you are a Palm Beach or Martin County resident and you are looking into getting your medical cannabis card please call our office for all the information.
Have a wonderful day!
