Third medical marijuana dispensary, Surterra Wellness, opens in Palm Bay

Surterra Wellness, a leading medical cannabis provider, officially opened in Palm Bay on Thursday.

It's the 13th location in Florida for Surterra. It's the third medical marijuana dispensary to open this year in Palm Bay.

"Palm Bay was a natural fit for our company, as we wanted to ensure that we are able to service the Space Coast region," said Kim Hawkes, senior manager of government and public relations for Surterra Wellness.

The new Surterra is at 6295 Minton Road NE, Palm Bay.

"We expect to have upward of 22 stores across the state by the end of the calendar year, as part of our desire to bring wellness to every patient in every community," she said.

Palm Bay has proved popular for medical marijuana dispensaries. 

In June, a company called Curaleaf opened in Palm Bay, followed by another, VidaCann, in August.

Surterra Wellness in Palm Bay also features a kitchen and garden area, where the entire Surterra Wellness product assortment is on display.

To purchase products, patients need to be seen by a certified physician who diagnoses them as suffering from one of the 10 conditions covered under the state's medical marijuana laws.

From there, patients must sign up with the state's medical marijuana users registry.

After that, it takes 10 to 15 days to receive a registration card and number. First-time patients initially have to show ID and the registration number, and meet privately with a trained consultant at a dispensary on the available medical marijuana options.

All of it is based on the doctor's recommendation.

This summer, there were 13 doctors in Brevard licensed to give the OK on medical marijuana. That number is expected to grow each year, as is the number of dispensaries.

Florida voters in 2016 voted in favor of the constitutional amendment, known as Amendment 2, to allow medical marijuana for certain medical conditions. Amendment 2 gave doctors the authority to recommend marijuana for patients who have AIDS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, cancer, Crohn's disease, epilepsy, glaucoma, HIV, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, post-traumatic stress disorder and other debilitating medical conditions.

Brevard's 16 cities and towns have a patchwork of rules related to medical marijuana facilities, according to a Planning and Development Department analysis. Some have banned them entirely, while others have moratoriums in place.

Palm Bay, Rockledge, Satellite Beach and Titusville are among the Brevard municipalities that will allow such facilities. In February, Brevard County Commissioners approved medical marijuana dispensaries in unincorporated Brevard.

So far, Palm Bay seems to be the popular location for dispensaries.

“This is our lucky number thirteenth wellness center in the state,” Hawkes said. “We are so excited to provide care for the Space Coast, and are happy to call Palm Bay home.”

Contact Wayne T. Price at 321-242-3658 or wprice@floridatoday.com. You can also follow him on Twitter @Fla2dayBiz