Florida
Status: In Florida, qualified registered medical marijuana patients may be in possession of marijuana, and state licensed businesses may grow, process, transport, and dispense marijuana.
| CBD Program | Medical Program | Recreational Program | Are Applications Open? |
| Legal | Legal | Not legal | On Hold |
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Number of Florida Licenses Available
| Dispensaries | Cultivation | Manufacturing/Processing | Transportation |
| 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
You can read the full text of the Florida law at: Office of Medical Marijuana Use
Medical Marijuana Treatment Center (MMTC) Guidelines
On May 1st, over six months after the October 3, 2017 deadline to issue new medical marijuana business licenses, the Florida Department of Health filed a Notice of Proposed rule which provides for the registration of additional medical marijuana treatment centers.
- Licensed MMTCs are authorized to cultivate, process and dispense medical marijuana.
- MMTC applicants must demonstrate at a minimum:
- The applicant has been registered to do business in Florida for 5 consecutive years prior to submission of the application.
- Possession of a valid nursery certificate of registration issued by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
- The technical and technological ability to cultivate and produce marijuana, including, but not limited to, low-THC cannabis.
- The ability to secure the premises, resources, and personnel necessary to operate as a medical marijuana treatment center.
- The ability to maintain accountability of all raw materials, finished products, and any byproducts to prevent diversion or unlawful access to or possession of these substances.
- An infrastructure reasonably located to dispense marijuana to registered qualified patients statewide or regionally as determined by the department.
- The financial ability to maintain operations for the duration of the two-year approval cycle, including the provision of certified financial statements to the department.
- That all owners, officers, board members, and managers have passed a level 2 background screening.
- The employment of a medical director to supervise the activities of the MMTC.
- A diversity plan that promotes and ensures the involvement of minority persons and minority business enterprises, as defined in s. 288.703, Fla. Stat., or veteran business enterprises, as defined in s. 295.187, Fla. Stat., in ownership, management, and employment.
- Within 10 days of licensure, successful applicants must post a $5 million performance bond issued by an authorized surety insurance company rated in one of the three highest rating categories by a nationally recognized rating service or provide an irrevocable letter of credit payable to the Department or provide cash to the Department.
REQUIRED FLORIDA MARIJUANA BUSINESS PLANS FOR MMTC APPLICATION:
- Business & Operations Plan Template
- Cultivation Plan Template
- Manufacturing/Processing Plan Template
- Environmental Plan Template
- Financial Plan Template
- Fire Safety Plan Template
- Inventory Control Plan Template
- Patient Education Plan Template
- Patient Recordkeeping Plan Template
- Product Safety Plan Template
- Security Plan Template
- Staffing Plan Template
- Suitability of Proposed Plan Template
- Transportation Plan Template
RECOMMENDED FLORIDA MARIJUANA BUSINESS PLANS FOR MMTC APPLICATION:
The History of Florida Marijuana
Florida Gov. Rick Scott signed a limited medical marijuana bill into law on June 16, 2014. SB 1030 also known as The Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act- protects qualifying patients suffering from a very limited amount of disorders from the use and possession of CBD. The law authorized for a limited amount of Medical Marijuana Treatment Center (MMTC) and the state awarded seven organizations to grow, process and dispense the low-THC marijuana.
In November 2016, Florida passed Amendment 2 legalizing medical use of marijuana for individuals with debilitating medical conditions as determined by licensed Florida physician. In June 2017, Gov. Rick Scott signed SB 8A into law, to ensure the Florida government will meet the deadlines outlined by Amendment 2 in order to have regulations drafted by July 3, 2017 and implemented by October 3, 2017.
The bill includes 10 new licensed MMTC in the state in addition to the seven that already exists and another four MMTC licenses to be issued for every 100,000 patients added to the state’s medical marijuana registry. Each MMTC will be allowed to grow, process, transport and sell medical marijuana. One MMTC license will also allow the licensee to establish up to 25 dispensaries.
On March 18, 2019, Governor Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 182 to end the ban on smokable medical marijuana products. DeSantis also stated he is in favor of eliminating the vertical integration of Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers in the state, and would like to see a horizontal integration of separate marijuana businesses licenses to cultivate, process, or dispense, respectively.
On May 1, 2018, over six months after the October 3, 2017 deadline to issue new medical marijuana business licenses, the Florida Department of Health filed a Notice of Proposed Rule which provides for the registration of additional Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers. However, ongoing litigation delayed the state from moving forward.
Then on April 16, 2019, the Department granted eight more medical marijuana business licenses to applicants who were unsuccessful in the state’s first round of licensing in 2015. This decision by the Florida Department of Health therefore reduces to three (3) the number of licenses available under a 2017 state law aimed at implementing the 2016 constitutional amendment that broadly legalized medical marijuana. Two of these licenses are reserved for applicants with ties to the citrus industry, and one must go to a black farmer who was part of class-action lawsuits. This settlement ends months of disputes between health officials and unsuccessful applicants. According to state health officials, the Office of Medical Marijuana Use is expected to withdraw a series of rules proposed nearly a year ago in May 2018 that were never finalized, and restart the process for the two remaining licenses with a new set of proposed regulations as early as May 2019.