One of the states that has approved medical marijuana is Florida. Only authorized companies are permitted to run dispensaries due to tight regulatory laws. The proprietors of the business must pass a Level 2 background investigation as one of the primary prerequisites for a dispensary license in Florida. This means that no one is permitted to own a dispensary in Florida if they have been convicted of a crime within the last five years or a drug-related felony at any time.
The Florida Department of Health is in charge of licensing dispensaries and overseeing the state’s cannabis market. Before providing licenses, the government fully investigates all applicants’ backgrounds. The background check requirement effectively prevents offenders from receiving a license, despite the fact that there is no particular statute that forbids them from owning a dispensary.
In addition to being prohibited from running a dispensary, felons cannot operate in the cannabis industry. All workers at authorized dispensaries are required by the state to submit to a Level 2 background investigation. Anyone who has committed a felony within the last five years or one related to drugs is ineligible to work in the sector.
Contrarily, one of the biggest marijuana businesses in Florida, Trulieve, employs patient consultants to work in their dispensaries. Customers are assisted and educated by patient advisors for those using medical marijuana. The typical hourly wage for a patient consultant at Trulieve, according to Glassdoor, is between $12 and $14.
It can be pricey to set up a grow operation in Florida. Depending on the size and complexity of the operation, the cost to set up a grow room might range from $500 to $5,000. Running a grow room can be expensive as well; expenses like energy and water bills can mount up rapidly. Depending on the size of the operation, the cost to start growing marijuana can range from a few thousand dollars to over $100,000.
As a result of Florida’s stringent background check standards, felons are ineligible to own or work in regulated dispensaries. Even though the cannabis market has the potential to be lucrative, starting and maintaining a grow operation can be costly. Trulieve’s patient consultants make an hourly wage of $12 to $14 on average, giving people interested in the field a chance to start out.
Drug dealers, including those who own dispensaries, are not allowed to deduct the cost of commodities sold on their tax returns under federal tax law. This is due to the fact that marijuana is still regarded by federal law as a Schedule I substance, which makes it illegal and ineligible for tax deductions.