You can buy marijuana in Florida only through the state’s medical program. Recreational sales are not legal: a 2024 ballot measure to allow adult-use purchases fell short of the 60% supermajority needed to amend the state constitution. To buy legally today, you need a qualifying medical condition, a certification from a physician registered with the Florida Department of Health’s Office of Medical Marijuana Use (OMMU), and a Medical Marijuana Use Registry Identification Card.
Buying or possessing without that card is a criminal matter. Twenty grams or less is a first-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine. More than 20 grams becomes a felony, and amounts above 25 pounds can bring up to 30 years in prison and a $200,000 fine.1The Florida Statutes. Florida Code 893.13 – Prohibited Acts; Penalties
Who Qualifies to Buy
You must be a permanent or seasonal Florida resident, proven by a Florida driver license or state ID, and you must be diagnosed with a qualifying condition by a physician registered with the OMMU.2The Florida Statutes. Florida Code 381.986 – Medical Use of Marijuana
The qualifying conditions are:
- Cancer
- Epilepsy
- Glaucoma
- HIV/AIDS
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- Crohn’s disease
- Parkinson’s disease
- Multiple sclerosis
- Chronic nonmalignant pain caused by or originating from a qualifying medical condition
- A terminal condition diagnosed by a physician other than the one issuing the certification
- Medical conditions comparable to those listed above
That last category gives physicians room to certify patients whose conditions are similar in kind or severity to the named ones.3Office Of Medical Marijuana Use. Patients
How to Get Your Medical Marijuana Card
There are three steps: a physician evaluation, an online application, and card issuance. Florida no longer requires a 90-day waiting period between establishing a doctor-patient relationship and your first certification, so the process moves relatively quickly.4Medical Marijuana: Florida Medical Marijuana Use Registry. Medical Marijuana Use Registry
Physician Evaluation
Schedule an in-person physical exam with a qualified physician registered with the OMMU. The physician reviews your medical history, confirms a qualifying condition, enters your information into the Medical Marijuana Use Registry, and sets your dosage along with the specific routes of administration you are permitted (flower, oils, edibles, and so on).2The Florida Statutes. Florida Code 381.986 – Medical Use of Marijuana
Insurance does not cover the visit. Initial evaluations typically run between $100 and $250 out of pocket, with renewals sometimes slightly less. Prices vary between clinics, so it’s worth comparing.
Application and Fee
Once the physician enters you into the registry, apply for your identification card through the OMMU’s online portal. You will need the physician’s recommendation (already in the system), proof of Florida residency, and a passport-style photo. The application fee is $75, non-refundable, due annually.3Office Of Medical Marijuana Use. Patients
Online applications are usually processed within 10 business days. Approval comes by email and that email serves as temporary authorization to begin purchasing while the physical card arrives in the mail.
Keeping It Active
You must see your physician in person at least every 210 days (roughly seven months) to maintain your certification, and the registry card itself must be renewed annually with another $75 fee. If either lapses, you cannot legally purchase or possess until you renew.2The Florida Statutes. Florida Code 381.986 – Medical Use of Marijuana
Patients under 18, and adults who want help purchasing, can designate a caregiver through the registry. Caregivers must be Florida residents at least 21 years old and complete a short state certification course.5Office Of Medical Marijuana Use. Caregivers
Where and How to Buy
Only licensed Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers (MMTCs) can legally sell medical marijuana in Florida. Each company grows, processes, and dispenses its own products under a vertically integrated license.6Office Of Medical Marijuana Use. MMTC Bring both your registry card and a government-issued photo ID to the dispensary.
MMTCs stock whole flower, pre-rolled joints, ground flower, oils, tinctures, edibles, topicals, and vaporizer cartridges. What you can actually buy depends on the routes of administration your physician authorized. If your certification only approved oral use, smokable flower is off-limits unless the certification is updated.
Supply Limits
Florida caps purchases on a rolling basis. Smokable marijuana is limited to 2.5 ounces per 35-day period. For all other routes of administration, you can receive up to a 70-day supply. A certification cannot cover more than three 70-day supply periods or six 35-day smoking supply periods at a time, though physicians can request exceptions through the registry in certain cases.7Office Of Medical Marijuana Use. 64ER22-8 Dosing and Supply Limits for Medical Marijuana
Paying at the Register
Most dispensaries take cash or debit only. Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express prohibit marijuana transactions because the drug remains federally illegal, so credit cards are generally not accepted. Some locations offer cashless debit options or an on-site ATM. Private health insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid do not cover medical marijuana, and the IRS does not allow it as a deductible medical expense.8Internal Revenue Service. Publication 502, Medical and Dental Expenses The product is entirely out of pocket.
Rules Every Patient Has to Follow
A card does not make anything legal. Florida law places clear limits on how patients store, carry, and use their products:
- Keep products in the sealed, labeled containers you received from the dispensary. Removing them during transport can cause problems during a traffic stop.
- No use in any public place, on public transportation, in a school bus, on an aircraft, or on a motorboat. Low-THC products in non-smokable form are the only exception.
- Do not share, give away, or sell your marijuana to anyone other than your designated caregiver.
- Home cultivation is not allowed, even for personal medical use.
- Buying from any source other than a licensed MMTC is illegal, even for cardholders.
What Your Card Does Not Cover
Florida’s program is a state system. Marijuana remains a Schedule I substance under federal law, and that creates several gaps patients routinely misunderstand.
Driving
A medical card is not a defense to a DUI. Driving while impaired by any controlled substance, including legally certified marijuana, is treated the same as drunk driving under Florida law. Prosecutors do not need to prove a specific THC blood level; the standard is impairment of your normal faculties.
Firearms
Federal law bars anyone who is “an unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance” from possessing firearms or ammunition. Medical marijuana patients fall within that prohibition under federal law. You cannot legally buy a firearm from a licensed dealer (the federal background check form asks directly about controlled substance use), and possessing firearms you already own can expose you to federal charges.9Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 922 – Unlawful Acts
Federal Property and Air Travel
Your card carries no weight on federal land. National parks, military bases, federal courthouses, and VA facilities all fall under federal jurisdiction, where possession is a criminal offense; a first offense can bring up to one year in jail and a minimum $1,000 fine.10Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Identify Prohibited Persons TSA checkpoints are federal too. Agents are not actively hunting for marijuana, but if they find it during screening they are required to report it to law enforcement. Leave your products at home when you fly.
Federally Assisted Housing
HUD policy requires owners of federally assisted properties to deny admission to marijuana users, regardless of state law. Current tenants can be evicted at the property owner’s discretion on a case-by-case basis.11U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Use of Marijuana in Multifamily Assisted Properties
Work
Florida law does not spell out blanket workplace protections for medical marijuana patients. A Florida court has ruled that employers must reasonably accommodate off-site medical use under the Florida Civil Rights Act’s disability protections, but employers can still prohibit on-site use and impairment, and many still drug test. Federal employers and contractors operate under federal rules, where any marijuana use remains disqualifying. If your job is safety-sensitive or federally contracted, talk to an attorney before enrolling.