OMMU Weekly Update

Contact:
Office of Medical Marijuana Use (OMMU)
medicalmarijuanause@flhealth.gov
tel:850-245-4657 open weekdays,
8am-5pm (excluding state holidays)

The Florida Department of Health’s (DOH) top priority is the health and safety of Florida’s families. Through the DOH Office of Medical Marijuana Use (OMMU), we are working diligently every day to implement the many requirements in Amendment 2 and those set by the Florida Legislature in Senate Bill 8A and are dedicated to ensuring patients have safe access to low-THC cannabis and medical marijuana. We remain committed to moving this process forward, and will do so in an expedient and thoughtful manner. To keep the public informed of the latest updates, DOH will issue a weekly update on this issue. 

OMMU by the Numbers

Patients in the Registry: 63,896*

Qualified Physicians: 883

Approved Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers: 13       

Approved Retail Dispensing Locations: 25

Processing Time for Complete Paper Application: 30 days             

Processing Time for Complete Online Application: 20 days

Approved ID Card Applications: 42,724*

Applications in Processing: 4,000

Implementation Updates

• Low-THC cannabis and medical marijuana has been and continues to be available for qualified patients. Patients may search for qualified ordering physicians using the new search tool on the OMMU Patients Page.  Patients and caregivers may fill their orders at any of the 25 dispensing locations, or via delivery from approved MMTCs below. 

• During the 2017 Special Legislative Session, the Florida Legislature passed Senate Bill 8-A which included many changes to creating physician certifications for qualifying patients. Updates have been made to the Medical Marijuana Use Registry as required by 381.986, F.S. Updated user guides are available at:  https://www.floridahealth.gov/programs-and-services/office-of-medical-marijuana-use/medical-marijuana-use-registry/index.html 

• Physicians who previously qualified as an ordering physician, but who had not taken the new Florida Medical Association and Florida Osteopathic Medical Association course titled Florida Physician Medical Marijuana Course by the statutory deadline of December 26, 2017 are no longer qualified and do not have access to the OMMU Registry. This has resulted in a reduction of qualified ordering physicians. 

• DOH has created a new OMMU site for physicians. The site offers many resources for physicians who are authorized to order low-THC cannabis and medical marijuana in Florida. The site is located at www.flhealthsource.gov/ommu
  
  
• On December 20, 2017, the department published Rule 64ER17-8, the Renewal Application Requirements for MMTCs. The rule was effective upon publication. 

*Note, not all patients entered into the medical marijuana use registry apply for medical marijuana use identification cards. 

Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers

Legal Updates

The implementation of Amendment 2 and Senate Bill 8A continues to be frequently litigated. While some of these lawsuits have little impact on our progress, others – particularly those regarding the constitutionality of the law we are tasked with executing – have significant impact on DOH’s ability to implement certain requirements of Senate Bill 8A.

General Background Information

Medical Marijuana ID Card Application Process: Once a patient has been diagnosed by a qualified ordering physician and entered into the Medical Marijuana Use Registry, they can immediately begin the identification card application process. The department encourages applicants to complete the process online as this decreases processing time. Patients receive an email from OMMU once their email is added to the registry by their qualified ordering physician which directs them to the application. Once an application is reviewed and approved, patients receive an approval email which can be used to fill an order at an approved MMTC while they await their physical card.

Medical Marijuana Use Registry: All orders for medical marijuana are recorded and dispensed via the Medical Marijuana Use Registry. The Medical Marijuana Use Registry is accessible online, with real time information to ordering physicians, law enforcement and medical marijuana treatment center staff. Patients and caregivers may also access the Medical Marijuana Use Registry to submit a Medical Marijuana Use Registry Identification Card application, and check the status of their application.

Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers: Approved medical marijuana treatment centers are the only businesses allowed to grow, process, or sell medical marijuana in Florida. Each medical marijuana treatment center must receive authorization at three stages, (1) cultivation authorization, (2) processing authorization, and (3) dispensing authorization, prior to dispensing low-THC cannabis or medical marijuana. Medical marijuana cannot be mailed.

For more information visit www.flhealth.gov/ommu