Florida farmers await word on growing medical marijuana

Growers say will take about 1 year to grow, cultivate pot crop

GADSDEN COUNTY, Fla. – The court battles are over and Florida is now taking the next steps to grow and distribute a form of medical marijuana. Farmers across the state are waiting to see if they'll be selected to grow the plant.

Growers said it will take about a year to grow and cultivate medical marijuana plants.

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Hackney Nursery owner George Hackney has never grown marijuana. That could change soon for his Gadsden County farm.

Hackney is one of 28 applicants that applied to grow a low-THC medical marijuana strain known as Charlotte's Web. Experts said it's effective in helping seizure patients.

"We researched it and we talked to parents, we talked to doctors and we found out there is a need," Hackney said.

Hackney's nursery has the tools and has assembled a team that includes lab and medical experts.

"We felt we had the ability to grow a really quality product that could be a benefit to these children and help them out. And, hopefully, at the end of the day, might be a profit in there for us," Hackney said.

The Department of Health will only be granting five licenses to growers.

The process opens the door to the bigger question of whether or not the state will ultimately expand medical marijuana use or even jump to recreational use.

Lobbyist Jeff Sharkey said the low-THC law is limited.

"It potentially does not help as many people, patients as possible, as it could," Sharkey said. "There's strong interest in expanding the medical conditions and increasing the potency of the medical cannabis."

Hackney isn't sold yet on expanding past medical uses.

"I can't answer that. I don't know and I don't know if that's a good thing for Florida or not," Hackney said.

He and the other applicants will have to wait about three months before they know whether or not they'll be growing medicinal pot on their farms.