Amendment 2 officially took effect Tuesday, expanding medical marijuana in Florida. But it will take months before many patients can get a prescription.

Florida lawmakers and health officials must iron out the regulations. Meanwhile, doctors are waiting for the research and regulations before taking the plunge.  

“I'd say the greater majority of the doctors are the ones who wait and see," said Dr. Walter Seifert. "They want to see what the research turns out."

The doctor said that medical marijuana will be an important tool at his disposal. At their practice in Altamonte Springs, Seifert and his wife, Dr. Sonia Ramirez-Seifert, treat patients in severe pain, often prescribing opioids.

Eight months ago, both doctors took a course so they could prescribe low-THC cannabis, often known as Charlotte’s Web, approved by the legislature in 2014.

But Seifert says that prescriptions relating specifically to Amendment 2, which expands who can access medical marijuana, will take time.

“We really can’t act on Amendment 2 yet until we’re told to do so. The only thing we can act on right now is low-THC treatment," he said. “Doctors will become more familiar with it, instead of just putting it in the black box, that it’s something they won’t touch.”

 Seifert said research is underway, vital for the medical community to feel comfortable in prescribing medical marijuana. There's also a greater shift that he said needs to take place.

“There’s a lot of physicians who won’t even participate in that because cannabis in general has been a taboo for a long time," Seifert said. "There is a need in society to help people with chronic pain, and I’m always looking to the best way to do things. Considering everything, we think this might be a very beneficial tool in our arsenal to help people with spastic pain.”

In the meantime, cities and counties are pumping the brakes.

From the city of Sarasota and Hillsborough County in October 2016, to Orlando and Apopka the following month, many are passing six to nine month moratoriums on new dispensaries.

Despite the moratorium in place in Orlando, Knox Medical plans to open its medical marijuana facility on North Orange Avenue in the coming months. According to the city, the dispensary was grandfathered in, able to distribute the low-THC cannabis only.

But the company said that if the City Beautiful ultimately permits the dispensing of high-THC medical marijuana, Knox would be ready to dispense those products at their future Ivanhoe Village location.

As research continues on the benefits and drawbacks, Seifert said that he feels moratoriums are beneficial, for now.

“The moratoriums are very in good in keeping a lid on it and controlling what we’re trying to accomplish. I think it will be very positive. But it has to be done right," he said.