Florida’s first marijuana dispensary, Trulieve, has passed all inspections after a long battle with the state’s Department of Health and will be opening their delivery system to qualifying patients in Florida next week.

Though they will initially be based out of their Tallahassee facility to get deliveries out as soon as possible, the dispensary unveiled plans to open facilities in three different cities in Florida.

Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers said,

“We are happy to announce that we have passed all inspections — from growing and processing to dispensing — and are the very first medical cannabis provider in the state to receive these formal authorizations.”

The authorization will allow them to provide low-THC products in the beginning stages and then sell high-THC products in early August.

Florida has a complicated history with laws regarding medical marijuana, which is why it has been difficult for dispensaries to supply Floridians with cannabis treatments. In 2014, the “Florida Right to Medical Marijuana Initiative, Amendment 2” was defeated because 60% of voters needed to approve the bill to make the constitutional amendment. Instead, 57.6% of voters were in favor.

However, during that same election period, the “Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act” passed and enabled patients with epilepsy, seizure disorders, or certain cancers to use medical marijuana as a form of treatment.

Many Floridians expected dispensaries to be up and running by 2015, but red tape and unnecessary roadblocks prevented any programs from becoming a success. When these delays were met with frustration, new steps were taken to make the process easier.

In March of this year, a new measure passed that expanded the qualifying medical conditions and enabled dispensaries to more easily apply for licenses and get approval for growing and selling cannabis in-state.

Since delivery will begin almost immediately, patients wishing to obtain the product should visit their physician or another doctor that can properly order the cannabis.

Though it’s been a long fight, Florida is finally on its way to being a weed-friendly state!

What are your thoughts on Florida’s battle with medical marijuana laws? Please share, like, and comment on this article!

This article (Florida’s First-Ever Marijuana Dispensary Will Be Up And Running Next Week) is free and open source. You have permission to republish this article under a Creative Commons license with attribution to the author and TrueActivist.com