Florida Medical Marijuana Recertification Rules

On January 3, 2017, Amendment 2 came into effect in the state of Florida. Patients with certified debilitating medical conditions were finally able to treat those conditions with Medical Marijuana. These Medical Marijuana cards help Florida residents who are looking for relief and more than 380,000 patients have them. 

However, obtaining the Medical Marijuana card in Florida is only the first step. In order to maintain possession of the card, not only does the card need to be renewed once a year (365 days) the certification of the conditions needs to be renewed every 210 days – about every 7 months.

As stated, medical marijuana certifications are available to patients with chronic illnesses or other qualifying health conditions. In the state of Florida, once a patient has been certified for treatment and subsequently added to the Medical Marijuana Use Registry, state law requires these patients to have additional in-person appointments with their certifying physician every 210 days.

Failure to have this follow-up visit and obtain the corresponding re-certification will result in the state rescinding the patient’s ability to receive medical marijuana treatment.

This is IN ADDITION to the state requiring an annual renewal of the physical Medical Marijuana License – the actual card. Patients can renew their card 45 days prior to the date the license expires. That date can be found on the card itself as well as a patient’s MMU profile. 

Many patients renew their card while forgetting that the Office of Medical Marijuana Use in Florida requires the in-person recertification visit with a qualified doctor prior to 210-days. Every 6 months, a MMU patient must schedule an in person visit with their physician in order to maintain their medical marijuana card. The Department of Health may delete a patient from the MMU registry if said patient has not been re-certified prior to 210 days.

At the recertification visit, the patient’s medical conditions will be reviewed once again. A patient must have one of the state’s approved qualifying conditions to be eligible for Medical Marijuana. A doctor may also qualify a patient according to language in the official state amendment such as: any ailment/condition “of the same severity/symptoms” 

or any terminal condition diagnosed by a doctor other than the issuing physician.  

A comprehensive list of medical conditions that are included within Florida’s legal guidelines include: 

• Cancer
• Epilepsy
• Glaucoma
• HIV/AIDS
• Crohn’s Disease
• Ulcerative Colitis
• Parkinson’s Disease
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD 
• Seizures
• Chronic muscle spasms
• Autism
• Cerebral Palsy
• Asthma
• Anorexia
• Anxiety
• Arthritis
• Lupus 
• Migraine
• Liver Disease
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
• Stroke
• Sleep Disorders
• Huntington’s Disease
• Parkinson’s disease

As a certified cannabis doctor, Dr. Fandino-Sende is qualified to make professional recommendations enabling the receipt of a medical marijuana card from the state of Florida. In three easy steps, Florida patients can obtain their Medical Marijuana cards from LifeCann MD and Dr. Fernando Fandino-Sende. Then the patient will need to be scheduled approximately every 30 weeks or 6 to 7 months to ensure they maintain their certification by meeting the 210 day requirement. 

It is important to note this is SEPARATE from renewing the card/license itself which is required every 365 days. 

Once a patient has contacted LifeCann at (833) 543-3226 or online at www.lifecannmd.com, Dr. Sende can recertify the patient at LifeCann’s conveniently located Miami office. 

Offering superior and professional customer service, Florida’s top-rated medical marijuana referral clinic has served over 5,000 satisfied patients. Their caring expertise and knowledgeable recommendations have helped a number of patients out of their pain. Patients of Dr. Fernando Fandiño-Sende at LifeCann MD are able to discover wellness and relief from their qualifying conditions.

For more information, please visit www.lifecannmd.com, email monika@lifecannmd.com or call (833) 543-3226.