Florida man makes history as state’s first edibles patient

A Florida medical cannabis patient has become the first to access edibles since the change in legislation last week.

Following the finalising of regulations from the Florida Department of Health, US cannabis company Trulieve received approval for its first line of edibles in its medical cannabis dispensaries across the state.

It began offering edible cannabis products in its Tallahassee dispensary on 2 September, expanding patient access to the types of products they have been requesting for years.

As first batches are tested and shipments start to leave the cultivation and production facilities in Quincy, Florida, the Tallahassee store became the first to receive delivery and introduce edibles to store shelves.

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 first sale went to Arnold Lawson, who is not only a long-time local patient, but a veteran and member of the company’s TruVet program.

Commenting on making the first purchase, Lawson said: “I am excited to be part of Trulieve’s special day. As a patient and as a member of the community, it was important for the state to release this form of medical cannabis for patients like me that rely on this relief. Having access to medication that is easily taken, in a measured way, provides me with better access to the medicine that has been proven to work for my ailments.”

From August 27, when the Florida Department of Health announced final guidelines, Trulieve began working on submissions to the state for approvals to start production of certain product lines.

Trulieve has a 10,000 sq. ft. commercial-grade kitchen at its production facility in Quincy, FL, one of only four cannabis companies in the state with an approved kitchen.

In addition to its branded product line of TruGels, TruNanoGels, and TruChocolates, Trulieve has partnered with specialty edible brand partners Binske, Bhang, District Edibles and Love’s Oven to expand its edible offerings to include cookies, brownies, and other products for Trulieve customers, pending Department of Health approval.

“This is a monumental day– not just for Trulieve, but for our Truliever community,” said Kim Rivers, CEO of Trulieve.

“There has been strong demand for medication in this format for over three years now, as well as confusion from patients that visit our stores across the state looking for edibles and an administration method that best suits them and their lifestyle.

“We have patients across all demographics with an average age in the early 50s; many of these patients have requested edibles as they have less stigma associated with them, are often easier to ingest, and is a medication option that tastes good, too. Today we are able to offer edibles as yet another alternative for Florida’s medical cannabis patients, and we look forward to the excitement to come as we stock our stores.”