A new report shows that, despite all the roadblocks, lawsuits and other problems with a statewide implementation since Amendment 2 passed in November of 2016, medical marijuana certifications grew swiftly in Florida during the first three quarters of 2018.
According to a Tampa Bay Times story, a new report by the Physician Certification Pattern Review Panel — a body created by the Florida Board of Medicine to track certifications submitted by doctors to the medical marijuana registry — says that more than 174,000 certifications were issued to Florida patients from January through September 2018.
The certifications were for a variety of ailments and dosages. Surprisingly, fewer than 10 percent of the certifications were for cancer patients, despite the drug's touted benefits in that arena being a major, headline-making thrust in the push for legalization. On the other hand, nearly 24 percent of certifications were for PTSD, leading the chair of the panel to express some concern over possible abuse of medical pot's availability in that arena.
The data in the report comes from Florida's physician licensing database and the state medical marijuana registry.