Scott Powers
Winter Garden-based Knox Medical is set to open Orlando’s first medical marijuana dispensary Friday in a location near Florida Hospital’s downtown campus.
Knox is one of nine companies statewide licensed to produce and sell medicines derived from cannabis. Knox has been in operation for several months, relying primarily on delivery service, and earlier this month opened its first storefront, in Gainesville. The Orlando dispensary will be its second, and the company vowed to open more in Jacksonville, Lake Worth, Tallahassee, and St. Petersburg in a short time.
The Orlando location hold a grand opening at 11 a.m. Friday, at 1901 N. Orange Ave. in Orlando, about six blocks from Florida Hospital, a location consistent with the company’s vowed strategy of locating near major medical centers.
The facility, the first of its kind in Central Florida, is open to qualified patients who have registered with Florida’s Compassionate Use Registry.
Like the Gainesville dispensary, the Orlando storefront will be low-key, with a single sign announcing “Knox Cannabis Dispensary.” The interior also is designed to be low-key, looking more like an optician’s office than like some of the marijuana shops that opened in California, Colorado and elsewhere under the medical marijuana laws sweeping through states.
“Knox Medical is working with Florida’s top architects and designers o create a cohesive dispensary experience that puts the needs and interests of our patients first,” said a statement from Knox’s founder and chief operation g officer José Hidalgo, and co-founder and chief operating officer Bruce Knox.
Florida approved a limited medical marijuana law in 2014, allowing for non-euphoric products designed to treat epilepsy and other neurological conditions, plus some cancer patients. Last fall Florida voters overwhelmingly approved a much broader medical marijuana initiative. The Florida Legislature failed to adopt enabling legislation, so the current legal parameters of medical marijuana are a little unclear.
4 comments
Bob Dakota
May 31, 2017 at 10:02 am
Why now? All of a sudden, after 3 years since the passage of the CMCA, the current licensees are scrambling to open dispensaries. Could it be that they know and Floridians know they have failed and failed miserably to serve the sicking and dying. Could it be that the DOH might open up the markets to qualified entrepreneurs which will effectively end their monopoly. Could it be if the DOH adheres to the language of amendment 2 and implement reasonable regulations that the sick and dying will be adequately served. Could it be that Florida’s local businesses working with local governments might control the who, what, where and how of the MMTC. Could it be that the corruption of the politicians and government agencies, pay to play, may not produce the results they paid for time and time again. We the people want open free markets and our doctors in control of decision making regarding our health. Monopolies are un-american the USA is a capitalistic country that embraces free market competition something that the current licensees are scared of because they will actually have to work to serve Florida’s sick and dying.
Mel
June 1, 2017 at 7:17 am
We are thrilled you are opening.
We will be in touch since we are opening many clinics for patients and we specialize in Cannabis Medicine as a Physician owned company.
Mel
June 1, 2017 at 7:18 am
Compassionate Certification Ce gets will be open next to Knox in Longwood, Florida in a week.
Mel
June 1, 2017 at 8:25 am
Sorry! It’s Compassionate Certification Centers in Longwood that will be open. A physician owned organization.
We will meet with Knox soon, thank you for this article!
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