New stand-alone location in Orlando’s International Drive district kicks off Sanctuary’s plans to establish a statewide presence in Florida
 
April 19, 2021 – Sanctuary Medicinals Florida is pleased to announce that it has opened its first medical cannabis dispensary at 5381 International Drive in Orlando. The new stand-alone location marks the launch of Sanctuary’s plans to establish a statewide presence in Florida.
 
Sanctuary Medicinals Florida is a partnership between Dewar Nurseries of Apopka, Florida, and Sanctuary Medicinals of Littleton, Mass., which operates grow facilities and dispensaries in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. As a wholesale nursery internationally renowned for its roses, Dewar supplies a variety of floral and fruit plants to major home-improvement chains, grocery stores, and retailers across more than 20 states. The state of Florida awarded Dewar a license to cultivate, manufacture and retail medical cannabis in April 2019.
 
Jason Sidman, founder and CEO of Sanctuary Medicinals, said Florida’s growing population and vibrant economy make the Sunshine State an ideal place in which to launch a new business.
 
“We see a bright future for our business. Medical cannabis is now firmly established as a legal, licensed and regulated product in the state of Florida and the number of patients grows significantly every month. We think this is the perfect time to invest in Florida,  and we are thrilled to partner with Dewar Nurseries,” Sidman said. “We look forward to serving the patient community here, as well as helping to boost the local economy through job creation,” he added.
 
According to the state Office of Medical Marijuana Use, Florida had 533,755 patients with medical marijuana cards as of April 16.
 
Partner Bill Dewar of Dewar Nurseries said Sanctuary’s philosophy toward growing medical cannabis and producing cannabis products will set the company apart in the marketplace.
 
“Sanctuary takes a very scientific and rigorous approach toward production, which is something we have always relied upon in our own nursery business,” Dewar said. “The more you can control growing conditions, such as light, water and nutrients, the more predictability you can achieve in terms of the final product. In the end, we want Sanctuary customers to feel assured they are getting a product that is developed for them under perfect conditions.”
 
Sanctuary’s new flagship location on International Drive is centrally located in the Orlando market, making it easy to reach from all parts of Central Florida, Sidman said. He noted that Sanctuary is focused on identifying high-traffic locations.
 
“The next level in this young and growing industry is assuring patients that they will have access to this form of care,” Sidman said. “Our strategy will be to focus on stand- alone locations in highly visible marketplaces with plenty of parking and plenty of room inside each dispensary. We want our patients to feel as though their needs and their concerns are our No. 1 priority. Chief among those is making it safe and easy to get to our facility.”
 
To celebrate the opening of Sanctuary’s Orlando location, all patients will be eligible for a 30% in-store discount on April 20.
 
In addition to the International Drive location, Sanctuary has identified and secured additional locations in markets throughout the state, including Jupiter, St. Petersburg, Jacksonville, Tampa Bay, West Palm Beach, Boca Raton and Fort Pierce, Sidman said.
 
Sanctuary will offer a comprehensive line of medical cannabis products, including flower, vapor cartridges and edibles. Quantities will be available in supplies designed to last  nine days, 30 day, 50 days and 70 days.
 
For more information about Sanctuary Medicinals Florida, please visit: https://www.sanctuarymed.com.
 
About Sanctuary Medicinals Florida
 
Sanctuary Medicinals Florida is a partnership between Littleton, Mass.-based Sanctuary Medicinals, a multistate operator of grow facilities and dispensaries in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, and Apopka, FL-based Dewar Nurseries, one of the leading producers in the foliage industry. Sanctuary Medicinals Florida launched its first location in February 2021 and intends to establish a statewide network of medical cannabis dispensaries. For more information, please visit https://www.sanctuarymed.com
 
 
 


For Jessica Hoehn, medical marijuana liability insurance is not just another business expense—it has become a necessity.

“Whether you are a medical marijuana physician, clinic, or dispensary, the potential legal costs of uninsured suits are astronomical and could have disastrous consequences on someone’s practice,” says Hoehn, an insurance agent for Danna-Gracey, the leading independent medical malpractice insurance agency in the state of Florida and the top agency for several of the leading insurers in Florida.
 
It’s a common misconception that medical marijuana coverage needs are very expensive or unattainable, but it is actually very reasonable priced, she notes. The agency works closely with clients to identify insurance needs specific to their medical specialties and practices.
 
“We understand the complex landscape of insurance coverage for medical professionals,” says Hoehn. “Our personalized attention and command of the insurance marketplace enable us to effectively negotiate competitive rates.”
 
Since 1981, Matt Gracey and the team at Danna-Gracey have become well known throughout the state as strong advocates for health care providers, as well as creators of society and network insurance purchasing programs. When it comes to the medical marijuana industry, Hoehn says that it was a no-brainer for them to continue to provide the best coverages for those looking to provide alternative care options.
 
“This isn’t your great grandfather’s insurance company,” says Hoehn. “We always aim to be a progressive company that is willing to assist growing and support alternatives to the normal healthcare avenues. And we are right here locally. We aren’t an out of state company that cannot relate to the ever changing climate of the insurance industry in the state of Florida.”
 
Types of Insurance Protection
The types of insurance protection Danna-Gracey offers include:
 
Workers’ Compensation Insurance: If you have four or more employees, you are required to have workers’ compensation insurance. This will cover your employees if they get injured on the job. These rates are mandated by the state but the agency has a great program which can get you up to 30% back in dividends annually.
 
Professional Liability Insurance: Professional Liability Insurance (Malpractice) covers your business should a negligence claim be made against you. This can also include mistakes, oversights or errors that are made by accident.
 
Cyber Liability Insurance: With major companies recently in the headlines for having their personal client information hacked, you want to be sure your business is protected should that happen to you. Cyber liability insurance is especially important if your website collects personal information or you sell items online.
 
“If you think you won’t ever get breached, you are wrong,” says Hoehn. "It’s not a matter of if but when. Look at the MJ Freeway cyber attack that happened in 2017.The attack took out their production and backup server. You are storing personal client information and it needs to be protected.”
 
Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI): If your employees interact with the general public as part of your operations, it is smart to get EPLI Insurance.
 
“EPLI insurance covers claims against your company for sexual harassment, wrongful termination and discrimination,” says Hoehn. “These allegations can come from the employees or the general public. This insurance would cover your legal costs and potential payouts you may be responsible for.”
 
Hoehn adds that General Liability Insurance and Commercial Property Insurance are important too and as a result, they partner with some excellent individuals to get clients those coverages as well.
 
Getting Your Business Insured
If you want to get insured, it is a short application process that Danna-Gracey will gladly assist you in completing.
 
“We will shop the market in order to present you with several offers and we can then compare and decide which avenue is best for you,” says Hoehn.
 
The cost of insurance depends on which type of insurance you’re seeking.
 
For example, for cyber insurance, Hoehn says that they are going to need to know some details about what you currently do to protect yourself, how many files you store roughly, etc. For Medical Professional Liability, they need to know how many doctors you employ, their backgrounds, what coverages they may currently have, and so on.
 
“The cannabis industry is susceptible to the same types of claims as any medical profession,” says Hoehn. “The liability may be a bit less since medical marijuana clinics are recommending and not actually prescribing but the suits that incur are the same as any other.”


Though medical cannabis has been legal in Florida for more than 1-1/2 years, there is still much confusion—as well as concern—about who qualifies to be a patient, and the legislative hurdles that a person has to overcome in order to find relief from various conditions. Still, the good news is that many Floridians are finding relief with medical cannabis, and that progress is being made—albeit slowly.

“The bottom line is that anybody who wants to be a medical cannabis patient in Florida can be,” explained Barry Gordon, M.D., of the Compassionate Cannabis Clinic. “You need to find a doctor who will advocate for you, and who knows the right questions to ask to work within the law.
 
“For example, chronic pain is not well handled in Florida law because it is supposed to be caused by one of the 10 conditions enumerated in the law, but fibromyalgia, or phantom pain cause by amputation, are not covered under these conditions,” he added. “You need to look at how the law is written to see if there is the same kind of classification, or a condition that is comparable.”
 
Dr. Gordon gives the example of patients who have to consistently take steroids or benzodiazepine for chronic pain or Ambien for sleep, which results in a high level of anxiety. “People know that they can’t take these types of drugs forever; society has shown us the disastrous results that come from using narcotics, including addiction or even death,” he said. “Patients are looking for a natural alternative, and cannabis is not physically addictive and has never killed anyone.
 
“People who want to be in the program deserve to be in the program, and to have access to a high-quality, highly tested product in the strain and specificity they need,” he added.
 
Patients who turn to the black market for pain relief won’t find what they need, according to Dr. Gordon, because no one provides a combined THC/CBD product. “The CBD component and other helpful cannabinoids have been bred out because they diminish the intoxicant effects of THC,” he explained. “They can’t get THC in the CBD world, because in the 30 CBD shops in Sarasota County that sell hemp-based products, including smokable hemp flower, those products have less than a .3 percent level of THC. And you don’t know if the products are clean or have mold or fungus.
 
“Only in the legitimate medical cannabis world, which is very regulated, can you get both,” he added. “And every patient deserves to have a safer product.”
 
Dr. Gordon suggests that new patients first ask their own doctors to recommend medical cannabis, but if that is unsuccessful, to contact him or any of the other doctors on the state’s medical cannabis website.
 
“Any doctor in the state can sign up to recommend medical cannabis, but many choose not to or can’t because of the hospital system with which they are affiliated,” he explained. “Some aren’t comfortable with it because it wasn’t taught in medical school.
 
“Not all practices are equal, though, so do your research,” he added. “Find out if this is something that the doctor does every day; check their references, and even see what people have to say on Facebook.”
 
Patients shouldn’t be embarrassed about asking how cannabis can help, either. “Thirty-three percent of my patients have never used cannabis before,” said Dr. Gordon. “They never even knew anyone who used it! They are fascinated that people can use it and still pay bills and raise kids.
 
“The fact is, medical cannabis is not a social destructor,” he added. “I’ve never had to resuscitate a cannabis addict in the ER, or treat a wife who was beaten up by her husband while he was on cannabis. I’ve never lost a professional partner to cannabis, like I have to drugs or alcohol.”
 
Despite its positive effects, Dr. Gordon says that those who are in favor of medical cannabis still face an uphill battle in Florida.
 
“The Republican leaders, including Gov. Rick Scott and Surgeon General and Secretary of the Florida Department of Health Celeste Philip, push back at every level,” he said. “Even though John Morgan won his smoking case, the state appealed within minutes. In another trial about the right to grow cannabis, despite winning, we have to go to the Supreme Court to testify again.
 
“This will continue as long as we have Republican leaders,” he said, adding that he invites politicians of all parties to visit his clinic to learn more about the benefits of medical cannabis.
 
“I see remarkable results every day,” he added. “I love conventional healthcare, but there needs to be an alternative to opioids to help people.”


Did you know that the legal cannabis industry is currently 9 billion dollars and expected to grow to over 24 billion in the next few years? There are over 30 states which have medical cannabis businesses, 9 with adult use and additional state legalization on the table in the upcoming elections. Some predictions estimate we may see full federal legalization by 2019.

These changes in laws have created opportunities for investors to find early stage companies which are developing solutions for the scaling, management, and operations of this industry. Investors are finding these companies before they are acquired or go IPO, and some mergers and acquisitions have already begun in the space.
 
I am asked all the time by friends how they can be involved or invest in these opportunities. So, I decided to break down what is available.
 
New businesses are providing the services to the cannabis industry like trash removal, security systems, build out, marketing, education, testing, corporate training, payroll processing, compliance, ancillary products for use, analytics, branding, sales, tours, entertainment, and media. The list goes on and on!
 
These types of ventures are currently being funded by angel investors, accelerators, VC funds, and some through the public markets.
 
Angel Investors
Angel investing involves capital investments by accredited investors (people with a net worth of $1 million or more excluding the value of their primary residence, or with income of $200,000 or more per year/ $300,000 for a married couple). These investments are in startups, usually with less than $1 million in revenue and less than five years old. These startups have high growth potential and angel investors look to invest in companies that have a believable plan to be able to return 10X their investment or more within five years. 
 
The ArcView network is a membership group of investors which hold approximately 5 live events per year. They structure it like “Shark Tank” where companies pitch on stage and are rated by the investors. This is one way investors are locating new companies or participating in private offerings.
 
Accelerators
 Business accelerators like CanopyBoulder invest in early-stage startups in the cannabis industry and provide them with additional resources. This is similar to how tech startups launch, validate and fund their pre-seed and seed rounds. They raise money through a fund and then deploy into new companies. Since 2015 CanopyBoulder specifically has helped 80 companies go from idea to funding with initial seed capital and follow-on investments.
 
VC Funds
Venture capital funds are investment funds that manage the money of investors who seek private equity stakes in startup and small- to medium-sized enterprises with strong growth potential. These investments are generally characterized as high-risk/high-return opportunities. In the past, venture capital investments were only accessible to professional venture capitalists, although now accredited investors have a greater ability to take part in venture capital investments.
 
The cannabis space has had numerous funds start over the last 5 years. These funds such as CanopyVentures, Phyto Partners, and Privateer Holdings to name a few.
 
Public Markets
A majority of the cannabis stocks are over the counter (OTC). These companies have either reverse merged with an existing listing or IPO. This allows for anyone to purchase equity through shares.
 
Investing in these takes a lot of research, many are not reporting and the price per share is inflated due to the hype, press releases and pending regulations inflating their fair value. There is money to be made by diligent investors, however, there is also a risk. Advisory services like Technical420 and Marijuanastocks.com track these companies and research their fundamentals.
 
Most recently 2 companies made headlines with over billion-dollar valuations on the Canadian market, MedMen $MMEN and The Green Organic Dutchman $TGOD both raised capital through private offerings initially prior to being listed.
 
In summary, the cannabis industry is full of creative, innovative opportunities for both investors and founders. Currently, there are potentially billions of dollars sitting on the sidelines unable to invest in the industry due to regulations and unclear legalities. This presents an opportunity to the early investors; however, these opportunities do come with risk. My advice to anyone is to do your homework, research and understand not only the legalities of the industry but the companies and individuals involved. Historically there are more failures than successes in startup companies, however, the rewards of finding the next billion-dollar unicorn do exist.


EVIO Florida Awarded 7 Emerald Scientific Proficiency Testing Gold Badges

Broward County, Florida- EVIO Labs Florida has been recognized for their participation in The Emerald Test®, an inter-laboratory comparison and proficiency assessment for cannabis testing. EVIO Florida was recognized by Emerald for their accuracy in: Potency in Solution, Residual Solvents, Terpenes, Microbial 2, Aspergillus Mold, Pesticide Screening, and Mycotoxin testing. “Our experienced team of chemists are among the best in the industry and these awards provide the acknowledgement of our efforts to operate above the standard.” Chris Martinez, President EVIO Florida.
 
The Emerald Test® acknowledgement helps demonstrate EVIO Florida’s aptitude and competence in conducting analytical testing at a higher standard of excellence for Florida’s Cannabis industry. The Emerald Test® Badge results provide a measure of assurance and reliability to those who depend on precise laboratory results for patient safety, public health, and product precision.
The Emerald Test® uses the standard Inter-laboratory Comparison Proficiency Testing (ILC/PT) program for evaluating how accurately and dependably testing labs perform, by comparing how well the lab measures blinded samples. ILC/PT programs are common in many testing industries, including environmental, food, pharmaceutical, water and petrochemical, providing a point of reference on how well testing laboratories perform individually and collectively. Laboratories can use their ILC/PT results to authenticate aptitude to clients, state regulating bodies, or to pinpoint analytical tests that may need further validation efforts.
 
EVIO Labs Florida is Florida’s First ISO Accredited Cannabis Testing Laboratory with locations in Broward and Alachua county. EVIO Florida has established a reputation for accuracy in cannabis testing, patient safety and method development.