Legal status of marijuana in the state of florida


Legal status of marijuana in the state of florida
Steven Voser

Find out about the legal status of medical and recreational marijuana in the state of Florida. Is marijuana illegal? Better safe than sorry!

MEDICAL MARIJUANA IN FLORIDA

In the end of 2016 Florida passed a bill to legalize medical marijuana for patients with a prescription from a licensed physician.

The qualifying conditions to become a medical marijuana patient in Florida include:

  • Cancer
  • Chronic malignant pain
  • Chronic seizures
  • Crohn’s disease
  • Epilepsy
  • Glaucoma
  • HIV/AIDS
  • Lou Gehrig’s disease or ALS
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Parkinson’s disease
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  • Debilitating medical conditions of the same kind or comparable to those above for which a physician believes that medical marijuana would likely outweigh the potential health risks for a patient.

RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA IN FLORIDA

The cultivation, sale, and possession of cannabis for recreational purposes are illegal in Florida.

Although it often happens that you will get off with just a fine, being caught in possession of cannabis can still get you into serious problems in Florida.

The law states that if you get caught with up to 20 grams, you might go to jail for 1 year and/or be given a fine up to $1,000.

Having over 20 grams to 25 lbs (9,000 grams) or under 300 plants is considered a serious felony and might get you a whopping jail sentence of up to 5 years and/or a fine of up to $5,000.

While the new law on medical marijuana is still quite fresh, it seems that the people of Florida are quite open to further legalization. A poll that was run by the Quinnipiac University, showed that about 56% of legal voters in Florida would support the legalization of recreational marijuana.

With this said, we are not aware of any further law changes in the (near) future in Florida regarding medical and/or recreational cannabis.

Steven Voser
Steven Voser

Steven is a long-time veteran of cannabis journalism, having delved into every aspect of the subject. His particular interests lie in cannabis culture, the emerging science of cannabis, and how it is shaping the legal landscape across the globe.