SARASOTA COUNTY – How far would you go to buy a product developed right here on the Suncoast? Arizona, Puerto Rico? That’s the case for one Sarasota Company.


Alt-Med produces the MüV line of medical cannabis products, and now that Amendment 2 has passed the company is working to ensure their products are available in Florida, but it may not be that easy.


Alt Med developed metered Dose Inhalers and Transdermal patches with Florida patients in mind, but right now it’s not Florida Patients that are getting them.


“We just closed a deal to make two of our portfolio of more than 2 dozen medical cannabis products available in California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Massachusetts, Canada and Puerto Rico,” Beckwith said.


Alt Med Marketing Director Todd Beckwith says Products like their inhaler are designed like familiar medical equipment in an effort to fight the negative stigma of medical cannabis.


“We’ve done things that have taken years, and spent millions of years to develop our products using pharmaceutical standards,” Beckwith said. “And making sure in our education efforts that patients understand this is not what they grew up and the stigma’s they may have heard about Cannabis, this is truly a medical delivery product.”


With Amendment 2 passing in November, Beckwith says Florida patients may soon benefit.


“We look to the opportunity of bringing those products that were developed for Floridians, that was what our business was founded on,” Beckwith said. “To being the best medical cannabis company in Florida, and bringing those products back home.”


The Florida Legislature is still debating regulations, but Beckwith says their products fit the criteria.


“Most of the bills currently being considered in the legislature do not allow smoking,” Beckwith said. “So, having pharmaceutical quality products that have these types of delivery methods should really come into play for the more than 2 million patients in Florida with qualifying conditions.”


But there are still some barriers, they can only offer the products if they get a Florida License.


“There’s a lot of variation especially on who is licensed,” Beckwith said. “When the new licenses would be issued, some of the bills have trigger points where there would not be any new licenses for manufacturers and growers until a certain threshold of patients, others introduce some new licenses right out the door.”


The House Bill being considered would result in fewer grower/dispensaries, with five more being added in the state when there are 200,000 registered patients and three more for every 100,000 after that.


The Senate Bill calls for 5 more to be approved this year, and four more for every 75,000 patients.