Pubdate: Mon, 19 May 2014 Source: Orlando Sentinel (FL) Copyright: 2014 Orlando Sentinel Contact: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/325 Note: Rarely prints out-of-state LTEs. Author: Scott Powers Page: B2 UPON FURTHER REVIEW, MORE GROWERS CAN SEEK CANNABIS LICENSES Now there are 39 Florida nurseries who are qualified to grow marijuana, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer services. After initially determining that 21 Florida growers met requirements to bid for cannabis licenses, assuming Gov. Rick Scott signs that bill, the department decided to do a review of records. The department reports it has found 18 more that qualify, including six in Central Florida. There now are perhaps 10 nurseries in Central Florida that are big enough and old enough to be qualified candidates for one of those potentially lucrative licenses, which would give companies monopolistic authority in various regions of Florida to grow, process and sell marijuana product to qualified patients with cancer or intractable seizures or tumors. The law would limit cannabis cultivation only to plants bred to produce an extract oil widely known by the brand name"Charlotte's Web." These plants have a very low level of THC- the chemical that gets people high- and a very high CBD level. CBD is the extract believed to have therapeutic effects on certain cancerous tumors and seizure and tremor disorders. The law restricted the business to nurseries that are registered with the state to have at least 400,000 plants for sale, and have been in business in Florida for at least 30 years. Because digital records go back only 26 years, the initial list was incomplete. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom