LAKEWOOD RANCH -- The sentiment at AltMed, the medical marijuana company based in Lakewood Ranch, is one of disappointment, but not surrender following Tuesday's defeat of Amendment 2, which would have legalized the use of medical marijuana in Florida. "Although we spent a lot of money up to this point in time, we believe there are so many patients who really need this. I can't tell you how many people have called and visited us. Their stories are amazing and filled with such desperate need," Altmed co-executive chairman Michael Smullen said Wednesday. [continues 254 words]
LAKEWOOD RANCH -- If Amendment 2 passes in November, Florida patients, including those in Manatee and Sarasota counties who are qualified to use medical marijuana for a variety of serious illnesses, will have the option to choose cannabis products that do not require smoking. Alternative high-quality delivery treatments would be available in the form of gums, oral sprays and chocolate products as a result of an exclusive licensing agreement with a Lakewood Ranch medical cannabis company. AltMed LLC, founded by a group of pharmaceutical-industry executives who seek to specialize in the development, production and dispensing of medical cannabis, has signed an agreement with Bhang Corp., a national brand of medical cannabis products, to bring Florida patients new and innovative therapies that are easier to use than smoking. [continues 450 words]
Passage of Amendment 2 permitting medical use of marijuana in Florida's Nov. 4 General Election has many business owners and employers wondering how implementation will affect their workforce policies dealing with employees approved to use the drug for medicinal purposes. These uncharted issues dominated a Wednesday debate on medical marijuana co-hosted by the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance and the Manatee County Chamber of Commerce at the Polo Grill in Lakewood Ranch. Attended by a crowd of about 200 people, the debate featured panelists ranging from Manatee County Sheriff Brad Steube to local labor and employment attorneys and the head of a Lakewood Ranch medical marijuana company called AltMed. [continues 443 words]
