The Florida Department of Health recently announced its plans to open a new round of licensing for medical marijuana businesses in the state, which will double the number of licensed cannabis operators. The announcement comes over six years after the state legalized medicinal use of cannabis in 2016, following the passage of a constitutional amendment. Since then, the state has regulated its medical marijuana industry, with provisions to issue additional licenses as the number of registered patients grew.
Currently, the number of registered medical marijuana patients in Florida stands at nearly 790,000. The state is expected to issue 22 new medical marijuana business licenses to keep up with the program’s growth. The Department of Health had failed to take action on issuing additional licenses since the administration of Florida’s current Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, took control of the state’s executive branch in 2019.
In December, cannabis regulators at the health department announced a process to apply for new medical marijuana business licenses and will accept applications in “batching cycles.” Under the emergency rule, the department will accept applications for 22 additional licenses between April 24 and April 28. Existing medical marijuana operators in Florida were licensed under a 2014 law that legalized non-euphoric forms of cannabis for a limited number of patients.
While Florida has only legalized medical marijuana so far, a constitutional amendment campaign to legalize cannabis for use by adults is underway, with plans to appear on the ballot for the 2024 election. The campaign is largely funded by Florida’s largest medical marijuana company, Trulieve. Florida’s existing medical marijuana industry is estimated to generate around $1 billion in annual sales, and the legalization of recreational marijuana would open the market to all adults in the state, offering companies an added incentive to enter Florida’s medical marijuana industry.
