With more than 1,000 patients last year, Dr. John Simons prescribes nearly 45 percent of medical marijuana in Duval County.
Simons said Florida’s medical marijuana law leaves the system open to abuse.
“It’s too vague. You can utilize some of the loopholes in the law to treat people that don’t really qualify for medical marijuana,” said Simons.
With more than 1,000 patients a year, one doctor prescribes nearly 45% of #medicalmarijuana in #Duval County. Why HE says #Florida needs to tighten loopholes in MMJ laws, only on @ActionNewsJax at 6. pic.twitter.com/5zZxZWvnqY
— Jenna Bourne (@jennabourneWTSP) February 1, 2019
The law specifies only 10 diagnoses that qualify for medical marijuana.
But Action News Jax found two other vague categories – “chronic non-malignant pain” and “medical conditions of the same” -- are the most frequent qualifiers statewide.
STORY: Florida doctors have a lot of discretion when prescribing medical marijuana
“But they really mean, if you look at the law, chronic non-malignant pain as it relates to the 10 diagnoses that have been approved by the state. Not just somebody with back pain. And, so, [some doctors] use the rule inappropriately,” said Simons.
Action News Jax asked Simons whether people question how many prescriptions his own practice writes annually.
"You can utilize some of the loopholes in the law to treat people that don’t really qualify for medical marijuana." That's coming from the #1 #medicalmarijuana prescriber in #Duval County. How he says prescriptions are getting into the wrong hands, all new at 6 on @ActionNewsJax pic.twitter.com/Bc7XY6DJXQ
— Jenna Bourne (@jennabourneWTSP) February 1, 2019
“Well, I think the patients speak for themselves,” said Simons. “We’ve had entire practices that send us 200-300 patients because they’ve closed, and they said Dr. Simon’s practice does it right.”
Becca Nitke said it’s been right for her.
“It’s been life-changing,” said Nitke.
She said medical marijuana has eliminated the debilitating migraines she’s suffered from since she was a child.
STORY: With new Governor, new changes expected regarding Florida’s medical marijuana law
“It works well for my condition and I don’t get any euphoria whatsoever. And that’s – I don’t want that. I just want to feel better,” said Nitke.
Doctors wrote more than 174,000 medical marijuana prescriptions statewide last year.
"I have not had one migraine since I have been a patient, not one. And I used to have them, like, 3 times a week." Becca Nitke tells me #medicalmarijuana has changed her life. At 6 on @ActionNewsJax, we're exposing how some doctors could be exploiting loopholes in #FL's MMJ law. pic.twitter.com/k1pn61bL1F
— Jenna Bourne (@jennabourneWTSP) February 1, 2019
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