FL Marijuana Qualification

Updated on March 11, 2019.  Medical content reviewed by Dr. Richard Koffler, MD, Board Certified Physiatrist

Who Qualifies for Medicinal Marijuana in Florida

As per the legislation of Florida’s Medical Marijuana Legalization Initiative, Amendment 2, passed November 08, 2016, qualified patients diagnosed with a debilitating medical condition may lawfully obtain and use marijuana for medical purposes, where the patient has been certified by a licensed Florida marijuana doctor.

What Ailments Qualify For Medical Marijuana in Florida

Patients in Florida diagnosed with one of the following “debilitating medical conditions”, are afforded legal protection under the Florida Medical Marijuana Legalization Initiative, as per Amendment 2:

• AIDS (Positive Status)
• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
• Cancer
• Crohn’s Disease
• Epilepsy
• Glaucoma
• HIV (Positive Status)
• Multiple sclerosis (MS)
• Parkinson’s disease
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Terminal Condition that is diagnosed by a physician other than the qualified physician issuing the physician certification
• Chronic Pain (Nonmalignant) caused by a qualifying medical condition or that originates from a qualifying medical condition and persists beyond the usual course of that qualifying medical condition
• Medical conditions of the same kind or class as or comparable to those above

How to Become a Medical Marijuana Patient in Florida

1. Patients must be at least 18 years of age.
2. Patients must be a Florida Resident or a seasonal resident.
3. Patients must obtain legitimate medical records or documentation from your primary care physician describing their diagnosis and bring these records with you to your marijuana evaluation appointment — *Learn how to request your medical records
4. The qualifying patient must be diagnosed, through an in-person examination, by a certified physician as having one of the debilitating medical conditions listed above.   — *Find a certified medical marijuana physician in Florida
5. All patients will be entered into the Medical Marijuana Use Registry by the physician who evaluated them.
6. Patients (and Caregivers) must then apply for their Registry Identification Card (Medical Marijuana Card).
   • Patients can submit their application online or by mail.
   • Complete Application & include An approved passport-style photo, proof of residency, $75 Processing (Application) Fee. (Paper Applications: Please make Check or Money Order out to Florida Department Of Health, including your Patient ID Number and Date of Birth).
   • Applications can be submitted electronically here or mailed (with payment) to: Office Medical Marijuana Use PO Box 31313 Tampa FL, 33631-3313.
7. Once the application has been approved, a temporary Identification Card will be emailed to the patient as well as a physical Identification card that will be mailed.
8. Patients can then fill their order at a licensed Medical Marijuana Treatment Center.

Patients have to be re-certified every 30 weeks in order to receive a new medical marijuana recommendation. To maintain a valid Medical Marijuana Registry Identification Card, Patients & Caregivers must renew their Identification Card annually. Forty-Five (45) days prior to the card expiration date a renewal application, application fee and required documentation must be submitted.

For More Information:

Florida Department of Health, Office of Medical Marijuana Use
Mailing Address:
4052 Bald Cypress Way
Tallahassee, FL 32399
Patient & Caregiver ID Card Applications:
PO Box 31313
Tampa, FL 33631-3313
Phone: (800) 808-9580
Email: medicalmarijuanause@flhealth.gov
Website: Office Of Medical Marijuana Use

Medical Marijuana Access in Florida

Some medical marijuana patients will claim they have a doctor’s prescription for medical marijuana, but marijuana prescriptions are in fact illegal. The federal government classifies marijuana as a schedule I drug. Therefore doctors are unable to prescribe marijuana to their patients, and medical marijuana patients cannot go to a pharmacy to fill a prescription for medical marijuana. Instead, medical marijuana physicians will supply patients with a medical marijuana recommendation in compliance with state law. Patients have to undergo a full physical examination and assessment of medical history before receiving a recommendation for a qualifying condition.

Florida has issues 11 cultivation licenses across the state, one of which is held by Liberty Health Sciences. Liberty, backed by Canadian company Aphria Inc., is looking to open dispensaries across the state as early as October 2017.

Check MarijuanaDoctors.com frequently for status updates as the program begins to unfold.