Florida MMJ businesses can only watch as 50K try to join lagging program

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More than 50,000 patients have attempted to register for medical cannabis ID cards in Florida, but it appears many are being forced to wait months before receiving those cards.

According to WFLA, a total of 50,284 patients have submitted registration forms, but only 29,778 cards have been issued so far.

And a number of patients told the Tampa TV station they had to wait two to three months before receiving their cards, even though a spokesman for the state agency said that processing applications should take only 30 days.

The Florida Office of Medical Marijuana Use has been dealing with the backlog for months, with up to 3,000 patients at any given time queued up for MMJ cards.

The delays are being caused because the state does not accept online payments for MMJ registrations and the fact that, until last month, the state agency had only three full-time staffers to process applications, WFLA reported.

The delays, however, may simply be another indicator of how much demand for medical cannabis there will be in the Sunshine State once it gets fully up and running, a positive sign for MMJ licensees in Florida.

And the rush of patients looking to register is showing no signs of letting up anytime soon.