18-04-2025
4/20 marijuana holiday is here. What are Florida weed laws? Find medical dispensaries in PBC
As families gather to celebrate Easter today, others across the country are marking a different kind of holiday, 4/20, a day widely recognized by marijuana enthusiasts. Whether it's the distinct smell lingering in the air or eye-catching dispensary billboards across Palm Beach County, cannabis culture is hard to miss. But it raises a big question: Is marijuana actually legal in Florida?
No, you cannot.
Despite receiving 55.9% of votes, Amendment 3 did not achieve the 60% threshold needed to pass during the 2024 General Election. It saw 5,934,139 votes in total.
Medical marijuana is legal in Florida for residents diagnosed with a specific set of conditions who have applied for and received a Medical Marijuana ID Card or caregivers who have received a Medical Marijuana Caregiver Card.
Here are following conditions eligible for and to receive a Medical Marijuana Card:
Cancer
Epilepsy
Glaucoma
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus)
AIDS (Acquired immune deficiency syndrome)
PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder)
ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis)
Crohn's disease
Parkinson's disease
Multiple sclerosis
Comparable medical conditions or status to the above
A terminal condition
Chronic nonmalignant pain
Palm Beach County is home to over 30 licensed medical marijuana dispensaries, offering a range of cannabis products to qualified patients. These dispensaries are spread across various cities, including West Palm Beach, Lake Worth, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Boca Raton, and Jupiter. Notable dispensary chains operating in the county include Trulieve, Curaleaf, MÜV, Surterra Wellness, Green Dragon, and Sunnyside.
No. The state of Florida does not offer reciprocity, although a bill filed for this year's legislative session would change that if passed.
Without a Medical Marijuana Card (or Medical Marijuana Caregiver Card, for people assisting medical marijuana patients who are minors or who need help), if you are caught with pot, marijuana advocacy group NORML lists the following penalties under Florida Statutes:
Possessing 20 grams or less: first-degree misdemeanor, up to one year in jail and maximum $1,000 fine.
Possession of paraphernalia: Misdemeanor, up to one year in jail and maximum $1,000 fine.
Possessing marijuana within 1,000 feet of a school, college, park or other specified areas: Felony, mandatory three-year sentence and maximum $10,000 fine.
Possessing from 20 grams: to 25 pounds: Felony, up to five years in jail and maximum $5,000 fine.
Possessing from 25 to 2,000 pounds of marijuana: First-degree felony, from three to 15 years in jail and $25,000 fine.
Possessing from 2,000 to 10,000 pounds of marijuana: First-degree felony, from seven to 30 years and $50,000 fine.
Possessing more than 10,000 pounds of marijuana: First-degree felony, from 15 to 30 years and $200,000 fine.
However, many communities and municipalities have decriminalized possession of up to 20 grams or marijuana, meaning if you're busted you'll get a fine (which will go up each time) and you may be required to attend a drug education program or do community service.
Areas that have decriminalized pot include Alachua County, Broward County, Cocoa Beach, Hallandale Beach, Key West, Miami Beach, Miami-Dade County, Orlando, Osceola County, Palm Beach County, Port Richey, Sarasota, Tampa and Volusia County.
Only licensed medical marijuana dispensaries may sell marijuana in the state of Florida. Even if the proposed recreational amendment passes next year, you still would have to buy your pot at a licensed dispensary.
People charged with selling marijuana can face the following:
25 grams or less, without renumeration: Misdemeanor, maximum 1 year in jail, $1,000 fine.
20 grams to 25 pounds: Felony, maximum 5 years in jail, $5,000 fine.
25 to less than 2,000 pounds or 300-2,000 plants: Felony, three to 15 years, maximum $25,000 fine.
2,000 to less than 10,000 pounds or 2,000-10,000 plants: Felony, seven to 30 years, maximum $50,000 fine.
10,000 pounds or more: Felony, 15 to 30 years, maximum $200,000 fine.
If within 1,000 feet of a school, college, park, or other specified areas: An additional 3-15 years, $10,000 fine
Assorted different types of so-called "diet weed" cannabinoids such as delta-8, delta-9, delta-10 and THC-O, which are derived from hemp and not marijuana and contain lower levels of THC, are sort-of legal here under the 2018 federal Farm Bill that allows farmers to grow industrial hemp.
Last year, the Florida Legislature passed a bill, SB 1698, that effectively banned delta-8 and delta-10 products and placed a 5-milligram-delta-9 concentration limit per serving but Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed it, reportedly to protect small businesses. However, they remain federally illegal.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: What 4/20 looks like in Florida: Legal limits, marijuana dispensaries
