Dispelling fears: Dispensaries aim to ‘normalize’ Florida medical marijuana
TAMPA, Fla. Vials of cannabis-laced sprays, lotions and tinctures line display shelves a few steps from handbags specially designed to tote marijuana products.
A stylish kitchenette and table is on the opposite side of this Surterra Wellness Center medical marijuana showroom, space used to host educational sessions on the merits of the drug something legal only under very strict circumstances in Florida until Amendment 2 took effect last week.
This 2,000-square-foot storefront, one of a handful of Florida dispensaries that have opened in recent months, looks more like a day spa lobby or high-end salon. Nothing about it evokes images of the seedy bong-filled pot shops of popular imagination.
I think its great. You walk in and its nice and clean, said Deanna Lolley of Riverview, who buys tinctures of cannabis-laced drops for her epileptic son. To tell you the truth, I didnt know what to expect.
More than 60 Florida communities have temporarily banned such centers, including Bonita Springs and Estero, fearing what such shops might bring with them. But others may soon welcome these potential big-revenue generators as state regulators dramatically expand access to the drug.
In the meantime, the half dozen companies allowed to produce and dispense medical marijuana are doing their best to dispel fears. The goal, said spokeswoman Monica Russell, is to normalize medical marijuana use.
The idea is to make patients feel comfortable, to make a mother with a sick child or a sick parent or herself, who is dealing with an ailment make her feel comfortable to bring her child in with her or bring her elderly parent in here and not feel like she is doing something wrong, she said. Were not going to hide what were doing.
Walk-ins are infrequent but regular, staff say. Most are established patients. Occasionally someone will drop in and ask how they can qualify for medical marijuana.
During an hour-long visit this week by a reporter, several people stopped by.
The Surterra dispensary announces its presence, and the fact that it offers medical marijuana, with a prominent sign along the main roadway to its host shopping center.
The neighborhood itself is a commercial district less than a mile west of the University of South Florida. Its neighbors include an insurance office, property managers, a Pizza Hut and a Chipotle Mexican Grill.
Sherri Abbonizio, an insurance agent at All Star Insurance next to the shop, said she didnt even know Surterra Wellness was a marijuana dispensary until a reporter recently told her.
I think whatever helps people is great, she said. Abbonizio said the storefront has seen many tenants come and go. I think this is a lot better than whats been there. It looks a lot better.
Assortment of products
The store, which is supervised by a registered nurse, offers three types of medical marijuana products: Sprays and tinctures, both which are used orally; and lotion, which is rubbed on and typically marketed to spot-treat pain.
The store will soon begin sales of vaporizers, which are used much like electronic cigarettes.
Products high in the euphoria-producing component of marijuana known as THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) come in three strengths. The calm varieties have the lowest levels; the soothe is middle-of-the road; and the relief is the highest strength commonly recommended for pain relief in cancer patients.
The calming oil tincture is currently the stores most commonly purchased item, said Stephanie Maruca, the stores on-site nurse and its director. Though Maruca said she expects the vaporizers will soon take that top spot.
Costs for the typical 45-day supply of cannabis products range from $50 and $350, depending on the dosage and type of product. Insurance does not cover any of the cost.
As for the handbags on sale: All look like any purse or handbag, though some have locks on them. Others offer heavy insulation, so the cannabis scent is undetectable.
Controversial, but popular, medicine
Its worth noting that, despite its increasing popularity with the public, marijuanas actual benefits as a medical therapy are a matter of some scientific controversy.
Marijuana research: Massive report details knowledge base with eye on future
One recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association that analyzed 79 randomized trials found only moderate-quality evidence supporting marijuanas supposed pain relief.
It also found low-quality evidence demonstrating its efficacy in easing nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy, helping with weight gain in HIV patients and helping with sleep disorders.
Still, many swear by it.
Lolley said she has seen the benefits first-hand and doesnt mind spending hundreds of dollars a month to buy a tincture of low-THC drops for her adult son.
Before he started using cannabis, he would suffer seizures at least once every other week, she said. She said he hasnt had one in two months, shortly after he started cannabis treatment.
Its kind of high (priced), but its working for him, Lolley said. If it helps him not have a seizure, Ill buy it. Hes like a whole different person since he started taking it.
Few Florida shops, so far
Surterra opened its Wellness Center in Tampa, its first, in October.
It is one of five brick-and-mortar dispensaries ...
