This Tuesday, the Sarasota County Commission voted in favor of approving plans for the Trulieve marijuana dispensary located in the Venice Pines Shopping Plaza to open for business with a 4-1 vote. Ever since the passing of the 2016 election’s Florida Amendment 2, which legalizes the use medical use of marijuana for individuals with debilitating medical conditions determined by a licensed Florida physician, Sarasota has steadily been paving the way for medical marijuana dispensaries to legally operate in the county. One of the last roadblocks was overcome in February, when the City Commission unanimously voted in favor of changing several zoning codes to allow the operation of medical marijuana dispensaries a second time – the first vote was back in January and was also unanimous.

Now, Trulieve will be able to open its Venice Pines location, which will be Sarasota County’s first medical marijuana dispensary. The company hopes to have this location open for business within four to six months. Trulieve operates 14 dispensaries across Florida, including one just north of Sarasota County in Bradenton. Trulieve’s facilities are tightly guarded and monitored around the clock. Products are not grown on the premises, and cash is picked up daily. The facility will provide safe and relieving doctor-prescribed products to many people suffering from a wide variety of debilitating conditions such as cancer, epilepsy, PTSD, and glaucoma.

The Sarasota County Commission will also be considering an application for an AltMed medical marijuana dispensary, which would be located at the intersection of Fruitville and Richardson roads.

For more information, read Nicole Rodriguez’s article on the Herald Tribune.