You can buy weed in Key West only if you hold a Florida medical marijuana card. Recreational cannabis is not legal anywhere in Florida, so walking into a Key West dispensary without a valid registry ID will get you turned away. Hemp-derived THC products sold in smoke shops are a separate category and do not require a card.
Recreational Cannabis Is Still Illegal
Florida has not legalized adult-use marijuana. Possessing 20 grams or less without a medical card is a first-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.1Justia Law. Florida Code 893.13 – Prohibited Acts; Penalties2Florida Senate. Florida Code 775.083 – Fines Possessing more than 20 grams becomes a third-degree felony, with up to five years in prison.
Florida voters came close to changing this in November 2024. Amendment 3 would have legalized recreational cannabis for adults 21 and older, but it fell short of the 60 percent needed to pass. Recreational sales remain off the table statewide at least through 2026.
Key West’s Civil Citation Option
Key West softened the local enforcement picture in 2015. The city council passed a resolution allowing police to issue a $100 civil citation for possession of 20 grams or less instead of making a criminal arrest. The resolution does not legalize possession. Officers keep discretion to arrest under state law, and the citation option applies only within Key West city limits. Treat it as a possible outcome, not a safe harbor.
The Medical Marijuana Card Is the Only Legal Way to Buy
If you want to buy cannabis in Key West lawfully, you need a Florida medical marijuana registry ID card. The program is run by the state’s Office of Medical Marijuana Use, and dispensaries verify your card at every purchase.
Who Qualifies
A qualified physician must confirm you have one of the conditions Florida recognizes:3Online Sunshine. Florida Code 381.986 – Medical Use of Marijuana
- Cancer
- Epilepsy
- Glaucoma
- HIV or AIDS
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- Crohn’s disease
- Parkinson’s disease
- Multiple sclerosis
- A terminal condition diagnosed by a separate physician
- Chronic nonmalignant pain
- Conditions comparable to those listed above
That last category gives physicians flexibility to certify patients whose condition is similar in kind or severity to one on the list. Pregnant patients cannot be certified for high-THC marijuana, though low-THC cannabis remains available.
Seasonal Residents
You do not need a Florida driver’s license to join the program. Seasonal residents can prove residency with two documents from a state-approved list, including a lease or mortgage statement, a utility bill no more than two months old, bank or investment account mail no more than two months old, or government mail no more than two months old. The name and address must match your application.4Office of Medical Marijuana Use. MMUR Identification Cards
How to Get Certified and Approved
You start with an in-person visit to a physician registered with Florida’s Office of Medical Marijuana Use. Telehealth is not allowed for the initial certification. If you qualify, the physician enters your certification into the Medical Marijuana Use Registry. Consultation fees typically run $150 to $300.
Next, you log into the registry and submit your card application with a passport-style photo and proof of Florida residency. The state charges a $75 processing fee plus a $2.75 convenience fee for online payments.4Office of Medical Marijuana Use. MMUR Identification Cards Once the application is approved you can purchase from dispensaries right away; you do not have to wait for the physical card to arrive.
Keep both pieces current. The registry card is valid for one year and renews for another $75. The physician certification is separate and expires every 210 days, roughly seven months. Follow-up certifications can be done through telehealth, so seasonal residents do not have to fly back for every renewal. If either lapses, dispensaries will stop selling to you.
Buying at a Key West Dispensary
All medical cannabis in Florida is sold through licensed Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers, the only businesses allowed to grow, process, and sell to patients.5Office of Medical Marijuana Use. Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers Key West has at least one dispensary, and several MMTCs offer delivery to Monroe County addresses. You present your registry card at pickup or delivery, and the purchase is logged against your allotment in the state registry.
Product options include whole flower, pre-rolled joints, vape cartridges, oils, tinctures, edibles, concentrates, and topicals. Your physician’s certification specifies which forms and routes of administration you are approved for, so not every product may be available to you.
Possession Limits
Florida caps how much medical cannabis you can hold at a time:
- Smokable flower: up to 2.5 ounces per 35-day period.6Legal Information Institute. Florida Administrative Code 64ER22-8 – Dosing and Supply Limits for Medical Marijuana
- All other forms: a 70-day supply not exceeding 24,500 milligrams of THC total.6Legal Information Institute. Florida Administrative Code 64ER22-8 – Dosing and Supply Limits for Medical Marijuana
Your physician also sets a daily dose within those caps, so your personal limit may be lower than the statewide maximum.
Where You Can and Cannot Use It
Using high-THC medical marijuana in public is a first-degree misdemeanor, carrying the same penalties as unlawful possession. The prohibition covers public places, public transportation, school grounds, vehicles, boats, and aircraft. Your workplace is off-limits unless your employer specifically permits it.3Online Sunshine. Florida Code 381.986 – Medical Use of Marijuana Low-THC cannabis gets an exception and can be used in public and on transportation as long as it is not smoked.
Keep your cannabis in its original sealed packaging when you move it around town. Consuming any form while driving or operating a boat is illegal regardless of your card. Sharing or selling your medical cannabis to anyone, even another registered patient, is a crime.
Hemp-Derived THC Products Without a Card
Key West smoke shops and some convenience stores sell hemp-derived products containing delta-8 THC, delta-10, and similar cannabinoids. These sit in a different legal lane from medical marijuana. Florida allows their sale under state hemp extract rules, with one restriction: you must be 21 or older to buy any hemp product intended for ingestion or inhalation.
No medical card is required, and these products are widely available. The ground is shifting, though. A federal law signed in 2025 (Public Law 119-37) redefines what qualifies as lawful hemp and takes effect on November 12, 2026. Once enforced, it will severely restrict hemp-derived THC products at the federal level. A product that is legal in a Key West shop today could be federally noncompliant by late 2026.
Federal Law Still Applies, Even With a Card
A Florida medical card does not shield you from federal law. Cannabis remains a Schedule I controlled substance federally, and that classification carries consequences the state program cannot override.
The sharpest risk is firearms. Federal law makes it illegal for any user of a controlled substance to possess a gun or ammunition, punishable by up to 15 years in prison.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts The ATF’s firearms purchase form (Form 4473) asks whether you are an unlawful user of any controlled substance and notes that marijuana remains federally illegal regardless of state law. Answering “no” while holding a medical card is a federal felony. The issue is before the U.S. Supreme Court as of early 2026, but until the Court rules or Congress acts, the prohibition stands.
Federal property is the other trap. Military bases, national parks, federal courthouses, and federally subsidized housing all fall under federal jurisdiction. Key West has several federal sites, including Naval Air Station Key West and Fort Zachary Taylor. Your state card offers no protection on any of them.