If you PREP, you are prepared to have a great time with Cannabis!
Cannabis is Fun! Florida Cannabis Action Network has come to believe that the raw Cannabis plant is an essential food. That when combined, the many Terpenes, Flavonoids, and Cannabinoids in the raw plant have developed a synergistic effect that provides incredible medical value for many species of mammals. And it’s fun if done right. Our members support the development of Cannabis for fuel, fiber, industry, nutrition, medicine, and the right of adults to cultivate the Cannabis plant in their gardens. The argument comes down to otherwise law-abiding adults. We want otherwise law-abiding adults to have easy access to quality products at affordable prices and full access to the plant.
That said, we also recognize the potential for harm associated with widespread production, sales, and use of intoxicating substances. As laws around possession change and consumption become more prevalent help yourself, your family, and your friends have a better time by remembering some basics. FLCAN thinks you can have a better experience with Cannabis if you remember to PREP.
P- Protected
We protect ourselves by reading labels, using products from licensed distributors, checking our doses, and making sure new users aren’t alone with unfamiliar products. Be proactive, not reactive.
If you have a friend who is about to use Cannabis for the first time (or if you are using Cannabis for the first time), it is up to you to be prepared to have a great time with Cannabis.
The raw Cannabis plant is safe. Ms. Cannabis Manners used to say, “When in doubt, break off a little piece, put it in your pipe, and smoke it!” Those simple days are long past. First-time users in most areas of the country have access to an assortment of food products, vape pens, concentrates in various forms, flowers for smoking, and sometimes pre-rolled cigarettes. These products may be from the medical marijuana market, one of the many licensed hemp sellers, from an unlicensed hemp vendor, or the evolving illegal market. Millions can legally purchase the widest varieties of products in the growing number of legal adult states. The uninitiated need a trusted friend, an informed medical professional, or an arm-chair shaman to act as a guide during early experiences, regardless of where the products are sourced.
R-Responsible
We are Responsible consumers when we maintain control of our Cannabis products by keeping them properly labeled and stored safely. Accidental ingestion by children, adults, or pets doesn’t have to happen. Avoid a crisis!
We keep hearing today’s Cannabis is “not your parent’s Cannabis.” Products that contain over 80% THC, extractions using CO2, low-THC hemp flowers infused with laboratory-made Cannabinoids…all this and more show up on the shelves. When you are prepared to have a great time with Cannabis, you are thinking about the source of the Cannabis you are using. Not all Cannabis products are good for all people. Using products that are from a reliable source, in the best-case scenario – tested in an independent third-party lab – is a responsible choice. Legal products created for human consumption have to follow certain labeling rules. At the very least read the label, check the QR Code, and know your source.
When trying a new Cannabis product make sure you are in the right setting and the right headspace. A fun time can turn ugly fast when someone becomes paranoid. A great time can turn bad fast when law enforcement gets involved. And nobody wants a trip to the Emergency Room, if they can avoid it. Cannabis is considered a mild-psychedelic, different forms of Cannabis will produce different results, and not all Cannabis use is fun. While you can’t die from smoking too much Cannabis, overconsumption of Cannabis products does happen, and the results can be unpleasant in the wrong setting.
E-Educated
We as Educated Cannabis consumers can help spread the news about what works. Not all Cannabis products are good for every ailment. Cannabis products are not all created equally!
When you are prepared to have a great time with Cannabis, you associate with groups like the Florida Cannabis Action Network. You question everything you hear about Cannabis, and you always confirm the source. The body of information we know about Cannabis is growing exponentially every day. Thirty years ago, a handful of scientists in Israel and Eastern Europe were studying the effects of Cannabis on the body. Today, billions of dollars are being spent worldwide on research and Cannabis-based drug development.
Do not believe the slick marketing campaign. There are so many products containing Cannabis on the market today it is hard to get through the hype. Picking through slick marketing to find products that really work is a challenge. Since the beginning of recorded history, humans have used the whole Cannabis flower and extracted the fragrant oils for rituals and medicine. Many products today are not what they appear. Read the label, do the research, follow the links, and take great care in what you put in your body.
There are lots of ways consumers can get hurt using products on the shelves that reportedly contain Cannabis. Even experienced users, who only smoke or vape whole flower are subject to dangers from additives in the cultivation process. Pesticides used during the growing cycle may be fine for vegetables that you eat, but that same pesticide can cause irreparable damage when concentrated into an oil and smoked.
P-Personal Cannabis Use
We find that Personal-Cannabis-Use is different for every individual but the laws are the same. Cannabis laws are evolving. Not all Cannabis products are legal for everyone. Stay Informed!
Since 1998, the Florida Cannabis Action Network has engaged in creating a path for personal-Cannabis-use. Throughout the United States of America, some form of Cannabis/Hemp is NOW legal for everyone. We have successfully lobbied from city halls around Florida to the United Nations to provide consumers with safe personal access.
Federal law currently protects consumers’ use of hemp products containing less than .3% THC by weight. Florida regulates hemp through the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. It is still illegal to grow hemp or Cannabis without a license from the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services or the Department of Health.
Florida does allow patients to work with a qualifying physical to obtain a medical marijuana card. Once the patient is approved they can purchase Cannabis from companies licensed by the state to cultivate, process, and sell Cannabis.
A wide range of products including Delta 8, Delta 10, HHC, THC-O, and others, are defined in Florida as hemp derivatives. In 2023, the Florida Legislature passed strict compliance laws for products containing hemp derivatives. You must be 21 or older to purchase hemp products, packaging may not be attractive to children, and labels must contain consumer safety information. Anyone legally selling hemp products in Florida must first obtain a permit from the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
