“People are coming from Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Marco [Island] and Naples. We are kinda getting everybody,” Ally Campbell, a manager at VidaCann, said.
It’s a market that has become a destination for medical cannabis, almost by design. Some from just across the county line in North Naples with medicinal cards are taking advantage of the congregation of dispensaries, as they are still banned in Collier County.
“I think the people have spoken, and it’s time to figure out where those spots are and to get patients keeping their money in Collier County instead of taking it to Lee,” said Charles Mcintosh, a medicinal marijuana card holder.
In 2018, Southwest Florida’s medicinal marijuana cardholder numbers boomed, with almost 11,000 cardholders in Lee County alone and about 3,000 in Collier.
The closest access to medical marijuana for patients in Collier County? Bonita Springs.
“You are talking about how many people have cards and how many dispensaries are needed… they need even more,” Matt Andrus from VidaCann said.
And even more patients are on the way.
“We have had quite the surges of applications of new patients, as well as transfers from other doctors in the area,” Jeffrey Blyshal of Iona Cannabis Clinic said.
Meanwhile in Collier County, Commissioner William McDaniel Jr. said that until the county can agree on where dispensaries can and cannot go, the ban will remain in effect. In the meantime, the pot business in Bonita Springs is booming.
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