Medical marijuana doctor for St. Petersburg patients

Is Horizon Releaf in St. Petersburg?

No. We have a single office, in Temple Terrace on the Hillsborough side of the bay. We do not see patients in Pinellas County.

We list St. Petersburg because patients here choose to make the drive once. After that, most of their care happens by video.

How do I drive from St. Pete to Temple Terrace?

From downtown, take I-375 to I-275 north. I-275 crosses Old Tampa Bay on the Howard Frankland Bridge and continues through Tampa.

Stay on I-275 north to the Fowler Avenue exit, go east about four miles, then turn north on North 56th Street to East 131st Avenue.

We measured about 35 miles and roughly 50 minutes with no traffic. The bridge and the stretch through downtown Tampa are the usual slow spots, so give yourself extra time.

• I-275 has express toll lanes on part of this route. The regular lanes are free if you prefer to avoid tolls.
• From north St. Pete, joining I-275 north at any interchange puts you on the same route.

Why make the drive at all instead of a video visit?

Because the law requires it for new patients. Before an initial certification, the physician must do an in-person physical exam, meaning the physician is physically in the same room as the patient.

No Florida physician can legally do your first certification by video. A practice that offers that is not following the statute.

How much driving does telehealth save a St. Pete patient?

A round trip is about 70 miles and can take well over two hours with bridge traffic. Telehealth renewals remove that trip.

Telehealth is allowed only for renewals: a physician who already certified the patient after an in-person physical exam may do that patient's later exams and re-evaluations by telehealth.

Re-evaluations are needed at least once every 30 weeks, so over a few years that adds up to many trips you do not have to make.

How should I plan the one trip from St. Pete?

Pick a midday appointment if you can. Morning traffic heads toward Tampa across the Howard Frankland, and evening traffic heads back to Pinellas.

Bring everything in one go: your Florida driver license or ID, a list of medications, and records from any doctor who has treated your condition. A missing document is the most common reason someone has to come back.

After the exam, the rest of the process is online. You apply for your state card yourself, and later renewals are video visits.

I spend part of the year in St. Pete. Can I qualify?

You must be a Florida resident. Adults prove Florida residency with a valid Florida driver license or Florida ID card. Seasonal residents without one may submit two proof-of-address documents (such as a lease, deed, recent utility bill, or recent government or bank mail). Minors submit a birth certificate or Florida K-12 school record plus a parent or guardian's Florida license or ID.

Florida does not accept out-of-state medical marijuana cards. A card from your home state will not work here.