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With 60 Florida nurseries eligible to dispense medical marijuana and only 5 spots available, the idea of a lottery is on the table. But as Matt Galka tells us, some of the lawmakers that passed the law aren’t on board.

How low-THC medical marijuana known as Charlotte’s Web will be distributed is still being figured out by the state’s Department of Health.  A lottery to determine the 5 growers and dispensers in the state is just fine with the bill’s original sponsor.

“Well, anyone who’s been growing cannabis in their basement isn’t going to have an opportunity to participate in the lottery. I think the Department of Health has done an excellent job raising standards,” said sponsor Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Shalimar).

But some lawmakers believe the product is too important to leave to a game of chance.

St. Petersburg Senator Jeff Brandes says a random selection of distributors wasn’t the original intent of the law.

“Let the very best people in this business operate these facilities, I think when we’re talking about medical grade or at least as close to medical grade as we can get, we want the experts doing it,” said Sen. Brandes (R-St. Petersburg).

Democratic Representative Katie Edwards agrees.

“We’re not talking about handing out liquor licenses, we’re talking about providing medicine for kids with epilepsy and cancer patients. I want to make sure that these patients get the best of the best and that their health is not given to chance in a lottery system,” said Rep. Edwards (D-Sunrise).

It’s expected that new legislation next session would close some of the unintended loopholes of the law.

January 1^st is the target date for doctors to start ordering the treatment.  But the process of cultivating the plant is expected to take longer than that.