by Teresa Eubanks, Journal Editor
ALTHA – The staff at Oglesby Plant Labs could be pushing aside their trademark philodendrons and ferns to make room for something new if they become one of Florida’s five nurseries to grow marijuana for medical use.
“We have been notified that we are on the list of Florida nurseries that are eligible to apply for a license to produce the compassionate medical cannabis “Charlotte’s Web,” Mary Oglesby McKenzie, secretary/treasurer for Oglesby Labs, told The Journal Tuesday. “Our research thus far, though preliminary, has shown that this medical cannabis can be beneficial to people with several serious illnesses,” she said.
“The company will continue to participate in discussions and forums to learn more about this process before making a decision that will impact our company and community,” she added.
Oglesby president Gary Hennen says it’s an opportunity they need to take a look at, even though it does represent some challenges.
“From being a nurseryman, to being a pharmaceutical manufacturer – that’s quite a large leap for us,” he said in t.v. interview Tuesday. “So, not only do you have to grow it, you have to turn it into a pharmaceutical grade oil and then you have to set up distribution sites around this territory.”
He knows if they pursue the license to grow medical marijuana in their Altha lab, it will be a subject of controversy for many – but, he’s quick to point out – it will also provide jobs.
“It’s incredible when you start looking at the real benefits of medical marijuana,” he said.
The state will allow five long-established nurseries in Florida to produce one non-smokeable strain of pot which has a significant amount of a substance thought to regulate seizures yet is low in THC, which produces a high. The use of cannabis oil from “Charlotte’s Web” is legal but only for a very specific set of ailments that produce seizures and persistent muscle spasms, including epilepsy and Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Dan Sweeny, a reporter for Broward County’s Sun Sentinel News, said there’s not much point trying to use the medical grade product recreationally, explaining, “You’d get about as high as you would trying to smoke a hemp rope. Besides, this law (the Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act) makes pot legal only for those with a medical need.”
It’s not yet been determined how the companies will be selected. Growers, lawyers and lobbyists met with state health officials Monday in Tallahassee to begin discussions on how the new business should be regulated. While there are strict criteria for businesses to be eligible to produce “Charlotte’s Web,” the decision on who will get the licenses may be decided by lottery.
Oglesby among those eligible for medical marijuana license
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