Faq’s

Florida now allows for access to “whole flower” medicine which includes the ability to smoke Medical Cannabis. The state has added requirements which include additions to the informed consent and a physical discussion with the Doctor as to the hazards of smoking. The state also is asking if other routes have been attempted, and how effective they have been.

No. There are no current provisions in Florida law that allow personal growing of marijuana, even for qualified patients.

No. The state does have specific residency requirements for patients, but the law allows for the certification of “seasonal residents” with debilitating illnesses. As long as you reside within the state of Florida for at least 31 consecutive days each calendar year, you are able to qualify for the program. There are requirements for proof of residency.

Often times, people suffering from chronic and debilitating illnesses require the assistance of another individual for their healthcare needs. The Office of Medical Marijuna has the most up to date information and is :  https://mmuregistry.flhealth.gov/

With medical cannabis in Florida, patients have the ability to assign a Legal Representative or Caregiver for themselves.

Beginning June 12, 2023, in accordance with section 381.986(6)(b)6., Florida Statutes, and the Department of Health’s Emergency Rule 64ER23-2, all NON-CLOSE RELATIVES applying for a caregiver Medical Marijuana Use Registry (MMUR) identification card must complete a level 2 background screening, pursuant to section 381.986(9), Florida Statutes, through a Livescan Service Provider.

Section 381.986(1)(c), Florida Statutes, defines a “close relative” as “a spouse, parent, sibling, grandparent, child, or grandchild, whether related by whole or half blood, by marriage, or by adoption.”

Current caregivers will be grandfathered in until the time of their next renewal.

Background Screening

Section 381.986(6)(b)6., Florida Statutes, requires caregivers to provide proof that they successfully passed the level 2 background screening pursuant to section 381.986(9), Florida Statutes, unless the patient is a close relative of the caregiver. Therefore, caregivers that do not qualify as close relatives must successfully complete a level 2 background screening. Caregivers that currently have a Medical Marijuana Use Registry Caregiver Identification (ID) Card must comply with the new caregiver background screening requirement when they renew their ID card.

How It Affects NEW Caregivers (Initial Application):

How It Affects CURRENT Caregivers (Renewal Application):

Fingerprints of all caregivers required to undergo the level 2 background screening will be retained in the Applicant Fingerprint Retention and Notification Program (AFRNP). The annual fee for participation in the AFRNP is $6.00 and will be the responsibility of the caregiver to pay. There is no retention fee for the first year of participation.

Caregivers will be notified via email 180, 90 and 45 days before their yearly background screening retention fee is due. If a caregiver does not pay the $6 retention fee by the due date, they will be required to submit new fingerprints and complete a new background screening to qualify as a caregiver.

Caregiver close relative documentation examples can be found here, and caregiver background screening instructions and forms can be found here.

Please note that non-close relative caregiver applications may take longer to be reviewed/approved than close relative caregiver applications.

Patient & Caregiver Helpline

If you have questions or need assistance, please call:
(800) 808-9580

Individuals suffering from chronic and debilitating illnesses are eligible to receive medical cannabis within the state of Florida.

To begin the process, a patient must have an in-person visit with a Florida physician who is qualified to recommend medical marijuana. In order to provide certifications to patients, a doctor must have an active, unrestricted medical license and must complete a course issued by the Florida Medical Association.

Once the physician has examined the patient, he or she can qualify (or “certify”) them to be able to purchase medical marijuana. After a patient is certified by a physician they must complete a medical marijuana ID card application with the Department of Health. When the Department approves the patient’s ID card application, the patient is legally then able to visit any of the state’s dispensaries or call a Medical Marijuana Treatment Center to arrange for delivery.

The law requires patients to be re-certified each 210 days, and the physician can certify up to a 70-day supply of cannabis at a time at a maximum daily dose that is yet to be determined by the Department of Health.

The Florida Department of Health has created a system for issuing and renewing Medical Marijuana Registry identification cards for patients and their caregivers. In combination with the Medical Marijuana Use Registry, identification cards will further allow patients and caregivers to quickly demonstrate that they are registered in the Compassionate Use Registry.

Florida rule 64-4.011, F.A.C. requires all patients and legal representatives to have a valid Compassionate Use Registry identification card to obtain low-THC cannabis, medical cannabis, or a cannabis delivery device. To apply for a Compassionate Use Registry identification card, a patient must:

1. Be a Florida resident,
2. Be a qualified patient in the Compassionate Use Registry,
3. Submit a completed application to the Office of Compassionate Use

Patients and caregivers may apply for a Compassionate Use Registry identification card electronically on the Medical Marijuana Use Registry, or mail a completed application to the Office of Compassionate Use. Applicants must have an email address added to their Patient Profile to submit an electronic application.

All applications must be submitted to the Office of Compassionate Use, and must include a full-face, passport-type color photograph taken within 90 day, and a registration fee of $75. Compassionate Use Registry identification cards remain active for one year.

Patients who are minors must designate a legal representative on his or her application, and in the Compassionate Use Registry. Legal representatives must also submit a completed application to the Office of Compassionate Use to obtain a Compassionate Use Registry identification card.

Once a card application has been approved, the patient and legal representative will receive temporary verification from the Office of Compassionate Use sent to their email. This verification will allow patients the ability to purchase their first order of medical cannabis. Approximately 30 days after the receipt of payment, the Office of Compassionate Use will mail a hard plastic identification card to the patient and/or Legal Representative (caregiver).

A patient must have an approved card application prior to filling an order at a dispensing organization.

No. There is no reciprocity between states’ medical marijuana programs. Just because you have a license in California, Washington, Michigan, or any other state with a medical marijuana program, doesn’t mean you necessarily qualify in Florida.

Different states have different qualification stipulations, but if you’re traveling to a state with a legal medical cannabis program, let us know. We can provide you with a letter of medical necessity signed by your physician that is generally accepted by dispensaries in other states.

While smoking is whole flower is now legal in the state of Florida, there are many medical cannabis options available in the forms of oils  – such as vapor juices, oil suspensions, tinctures, vapes, encapsulations, sublingual tinctures, topicals, lotions, edibles ( such as gummies, chocolates) and suppositories. 

Yes. In November 2016, voters overwhelmingly approved the passage of a ballot initiative that amended the state constitution to allow for residents with debilitating illnesses to legally obtain and use medical marijuana.

On June 23, 2017, Governor Rick Scott signed SB-8A into law, revising the original Compassionate Use Act (s.381.986) and allowing for the legal expansion of the state’s existing medical marijuana program to conform to the new stipulations set fourth by Amendment 2.

When applying for a medical marijuana patient ID card, an adult resident must provide a copy of his or her valid Florida driver’s license or a copy of a valid Florida identification card.

For patients under the age of 18, the parent or legal guardian must provide the Department with a certified copy of a birth certificate or a current record of registration from a Florida K-12 school. Additionally, the parent or legal guardian must have a valid Florida driver’s license or Florida identification card.

Patients that qualify as “seasonal”, may use two of the following instruments to prove their legal residency status:

1. A deed, mortgage, monthly mortgage statement, mortgage payment booklet or residential rental or lease agreement.
2. One proof of residential address from the seasonal resident’s parent, step-parent, legal guardian or other person with whom the seasonal resident resides and a statement from the person with whom the seasonal resident resides stating that the seasonal resident does reside with him or her.
3. A utility hookup or work order dated within 60 days before registration in the medical use registry.
4. A utility bill, not more than 2 months old.
5. Mail from a financial institution, including checking, savings, or investment account statements, not more than 2 months old.
6. Mail from a federal, state, county, or municipal government agency, not more than 2 months old.
7. Any other documentation that provides proof of residential address as determined by department rule.

While the doctor may – at any point – revoke a patient’s certification for cannabis, the Department of Health may suspend or revoke the registration of a qualified patient or caregiver if the qualified patient or caregiver:

1. Provides misleading, incorrect, false, or fraudulent information to the department;
2. Obtains a supply of marijuana in an amount greater than the amount authorized by the physician certification;
3. Falsifies, alters, or otherwise modifies an identification card;
4. Fails to timely notify the department of any changes to his or her qualified patient status; or
5. Violates the requirements of this section or any rule adopted under this section

Additionally, the Department of Health has the legal authority to do the following:

1. The department shall immediately suspend the registration of a qualified patient charged with a violation of chapter 893 until final disposition of any alleged offense. Thereafter, the department may extend the suspension, revoke the registration, or reinstate the registration.
2. The department shall immediately suspend the registration of any caregiver charged with a violation of chapter 893 until final disposition of any alleged offense. The department shall revoke a caregiver registration if the caregiver does not meet the stipulated requirements.
3. The department may revoke the registration of a qualified patient or caregiver who cultivates marijuana or who acquires, possesses, or delivers marijuana from any person or  entity other than a medical marijuana treatment center.
4. The department shall revoke the registration of a qualified patient, and the patient’s associated caregiver, upon notification that the patient no longer meets the criteria of a qualified patient.

While ten different debilitating conditions are enumerated within the law, the state Constitution and the established law allows physicians the authority to certify patients who are suffering from “medical conditions of the same kind or class as or comparable to those enumerated” for which the physician believes the benefits to the patient would outweigh the risk.

Because cannabis has had no instances of fatality, has a small and predictable side effect profile, has very few drug interactions, and has shown promise in the treatment for many different ailments, it is easy for the physician to certify a course of cannabis treatment for a wide variety of illnesses upon examination of the patient and review of the patient’s medical history.

For each medical conditions of the same kind or class or as comparable to, the qualifying physician must send to their respective board:

In 2014, the Florida Legislature passed the Compassionate Use Act which was the first legal medical cannabis program in the state’s history. The original Compassionate Use Act only allowed for low-THC cannabis (Charlotte’s Web strain) to be dispensed and purchased by patients suffering from cancer and epilepsy.

In 2016, the Legislature passed the Right To Try act which allowed for full potency cannabis to be dispensed to patients suffering from a diagnosed terminal condition.

Also in 2016, the Florida Medical Marijuana Legalization Initiative was introduced by citizen referendum and passed with a 71.3% majority on November 8. This language amended the state constitution and mandated an expansion of the state’s medical cannabis program.

On June 9, 2017, the Florida House of Representatives and Florida Senate passed respective legislation to implement the expanded program by replacing large portions of the existing Compassionate Use Act, which officially became law on June 23, 2017.

Each MMTC (Dispensary) has its own unique product line and pricing structure. Additionally, each Dispensary offers its own discounts and promotions. We advise patients to contact each of the Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers to obtain pricing and availability information. Contact information about all Florida dispensaries can be obtained by calling our office at (941)-586-2426 and they will email you the most up to date names, websites and information on all dispensaries. 

Currently in Florida, there is a vertical integration system in place. This means that the state will grant one license to an organization that allows them to cultivate, process, and dispense cannabis to patients.

Florida’s most curent MMTC Dispensary list :

• Ayr
• Cookies
• Curaleaf
• The Flowery
• Fluent
• Goldleaf
• Green Dragon 
• Grow Healthy
• HT Medical Cannabis
• Jungle Boys
• MUV
• Planet 13
• Platinum
• Revolution
• RISE
• Sanctuary
• Sunburn
• Sunnyside
• Surterra
• Trulieve 
• Vidacann

By October 1, 2017, the Department of Health must license 10 more MMTCs.

Each MMTC (Dispensary) has its own unique product line and pricing structure. Additionally, each Dispensary offers its own discounts and promotions. We advise patients to contact each of the Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers to obtain pricing and availability information. Contact information can be found below: