Medical marijuana initiative at FAMU hosts forums on campus about cannabis in Florida

Amid a push for recreational marijuana in the state, Florida A&M University's Medical Marijuana Education and Research Initiative (MMERI) hosted two free all-day forums to educate the Tallahassee community about the drug and the differences between medical marijuana and "street weed."

During the Friday forum in FAMU's Grand Ballroom, FAMU alumna Shamarial Roberson — former Florida Deputy Secretary for Health who currently serves as president of Health and Human Services at Indelible Business Solutions — said the event creates a space for an “important and very timely conversation” as it is held during a time where efforts are being made to pass a marijuana measure (Amendment 3).

Recreational marijuana is not legal in Florida, but the amendment would allow individuals over 21 years of age to have up to three ounces of pot and up to five grams of cannabis concentrate.

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As panelists at the forum talked about topics including marijuana's legal status and its dangers, Roberson moderated the discussion and asked the speakers what the difference is between medical marijuana and street marijuana, which is cannabis sold on the illicit market.

One of the speakers, Michael McCormick — an education coordinator for Florida’s Poison Control Centers in Jacksonville — says the answer is “safety.”

“When it comes to medical marijuana, we have a state office that oversees the dispensaries and the process,” McCormick said, referring to the Florida Department of Health's Office of Medical Marijuana Use. “But when you're buying street weed, you don't know what you're getting.”

Marijuana refers to the Cannabis sativa plant or Cannabis indica plant, according to the National Institutes of Health. The plant contains compounds such as THC — a mind-altering, psychoactive chemical ingredient found in the plant that makes people “high” when they smoke it.

At the same time, medical reasons for using marijuana include the treatment of anxiety, insomnia, chronic pain and depression.

With MMERI having been established at FAMU since 2018, it is the only program mandated by the state to engage Florida’s minority populations statewide about the potential benefits of medical marijuana and the pitfalls of smoking illegal pot.

“As an 1890 land-grant institution, FAMU is uniquely positioned to carry out this legislative mandate,” FAMU President Larry Robinson said.

Regarding the proposed amendment in Florida about marijuana use, a group called Smart & Safe Florida is leading a campaign across the state in support of the measure.

But Gov. Ron DeSantis and other top conservatives in Florida stand against the proposal. DeSantis says it could lead to prolific pot smells and accuses it of being written so broadly that it would limit how the state could regulate the industry.

Despite the lack of support from conservatives, the proposed measure can potentially become a law if it gets at least 60% of votes from Floridians in November.

Other speakers at the FAMU MMERI event Friday were Lola Ohonba, a clinical pharmacist who founded an Orange Park, Florida-based health and wellness company called WCI Health, and FAMU alumnus Mister McTier, a clinical case manager assistant for the health insurance company Humana.

During the educational forum, panelists also explained how individuals can legally obtain a medical marijuana card in Florida — a process that consists of getting diagnosed by a qualified physician, applying for a Medical Marijuana Use Registry Identification Card and paying a $75 registration fee.

While the speakers educated participants on the different beneficial and harmful components of marijuana, they all agreed on how there are still discoveries left to be made to learn more about the plant’s importance and impact.

“It's just too much of an ocean of what we don't know, and there's research that we still need to do," McTier said.

Lastly, it's worth noting the second and last day of the forum was April 20, colloquially known as Weed Day.

Contact Tarah Jean at [email protected] or follow her on X: @tarahjean_.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU medical marijuana initiative hosts forums with talks on cannabis