TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Medical marijuana patients in Florida can now purchase the drug in edible form.
The Florida Department of Health published emergency rules regarding the production, sale and marketing of edibles Aug. 26, and Wednesday, a medical marijuana patient in Tallahassee was the first in the state to purchase the product from a Trulieve dispensary.
"The Tallahassee dispensary is a historic location as the first (Medical Marijuana Treatment Clinic) dispensary in the state to serve a medical marijuana patient four years ago, as well as the first to receive and sell smokable flower when those rules from the DOH came out in March 2019," the company said in a news release. "(Wednesday's) sale marks another first in the state and is fitting to be in the home of the Florida's capital."
While none of the Jacksonville-area Trulieve dispensaries are currently offering edible marijuana, it is available in 17 of the company's stores across the state, and production has already been increased so that it will soon be sold in all of the dispensaries across Florida, a Trulieve spokesperson told First Coast News Thursday.
The first Floridian to purchase edible medical marijuana was Arnold Lawson, who is a veteran and Tallahassee MMTC patient. He purchased Trulieve's initial release of its blue raspberry-flavored TruGel.
In the emergency rules, the health department lays out the details for how the edibles must be shaped, colored and in what form. They can be lozenges, gelatins, baked goods, chocolates and drink powders.
Edibles can come in different shapes, but they cannot "bear a resemblance to commercially available candy," they can't have sprinkles or icing and they can't be a primary or bright color that could be attractive to children.
The products also can't have meat, poultry or fish ingredients.
Medical marijuana companies in Florida must also obtain an annual food permit to produce and dispense the drug in edible form, under current state statute.
Trulieve says it's working on new edible products and flavors, such as chocolate, cookies, brownies and other products pending Department of Health approval.
The company says its production facility in Quincy is one of only four cannabis company kitchens approved by the state.