The number of medical marijuana patients in this state increased by 71% in two years

By John Schroyer

The Sunshine State is apparently full of cannabis fans. According to state data, the number of registered medical marijuana patients in Florida increased 71% in the last two years alone, skyrocketing to 779,465 by the end of 2022.

That’s an increase from 455,425 registered MMJ patients in 2020, The Center Square reported.

The numbers emerged during a presentation by Christopher Kimball, director of the Florida Office of Medical Marijuana Use (OMMU), to a subcommittee of the state Legislature, according to The Center Square. Kimball said that not only has patient participation skyrocketed, but so has the number of physicians registered to issue MMJ certifications, from 107 in 2020 to 1,725 ​​in 2022.

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Patient counts rose even further over the past month and a half to 788,633 as of Feb. 10, and the number of registered doctors rose to 2,601, according to the latest OMMU report.

The numbers are one of the main reasons the state will issue new MMJ business licenses starting in April to ensure the entire patient population is adequately cared for. State law triggers more approvals as the number of patients increases.

The next round will apply to 22 new business permits, doubling the existing number of businesses in the state (although only 19 are operating pharmacies so far, according to OMMU).

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Kimball said one of the key changes introduced by OMMU that may have contributed to the increased number is the approval of same-day patient certifications.

The state also lifted a ban it originally imposed on medicinal cannabis flower in 2019. In the early days of the MMJ program, products like tinctures and pills could only be sold by licensed cannabis companies. This is also likely a major contributor to the program’s increased popularity, as smokable flower has long been the most popular form of medicinal cannabis among patients.

As of March 2019, when the flower ban was lifted, the state had just under 200,000 registered MMJ patients.

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The surge in patients could also be a political boost to Trulieve’s campaign, which is trying to bring a recreational legalization measure to the 2024 Florida election and has so far invested over $25 million in the effort.

This article originally appeared in Green Market Report and has been republished with permission.