Medical Marijuana in Florida
In 2014, the Legislature passed the Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act, creating Florida Statute § 381.986. The law granted the Department of Health the power to adopt rules necessary to implement the law. See Fla. Stat. § 381.986(5)(d) (2014). Further, the Department of Health was required to grant five nurseries licenses to dispense medical marijuana, one for each region in the state. See Fla. Stat. § 381.986(5)(b) (2014). The Office of Compassionate Use, now referred to as the Office of Medical Marijuana Use (“OMMU”), came into existence as the entity within the Department of Health that oversees the licensing and other portions of the Medical Marijuana Program. The Department of Health then promulgated rules under which a nursery could apply for a Dispensing Organization license, now referred to as a Medical Marijuana Treatment Center (“MMTC”) license. Together, these laws and rules laid out the medical marijuana licensing scheme.
In the 2015 application cycle, the Department of Health received a total of 28 and scored 26 applications for licenses. Then, in 2016, a proposed constitutional amendment— passed by 71.3% of Florida residents—broadened the scope and use of medical marijuana in Florida and granted the Department of Health rulemaking authority under the Florida Constitution. The Florida Legislature amended § 381.986 to broaden the laws to make additional licenses available as well as allow for the production and sale of high-THC medical marijuana.
Currently, there are 22 Medical Marijuana Treatment Center Licenses in Florida. Each licensee is required to be “vertically integrated,” which means cultivate, process and dispense medical marijuana.
Upcoming Medical Marijuana Applications in Florida
Number of Current Available Licenses: 19
You can view the 2022 Application Instructions here: MMTC Application
Our team can work with you to put your application and business plan together.
Based on the 2022 Application Guide, it has 6 in-depth Parts to it that we can help you with. The baseline threshold for applicants is: (1) Submit an application; (2) Submit a nonrefundable fee of $146,000; (3) Valid registration with Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (DACS); (4) All owners, officers, board members, and managers must pass a Level 2 Background Screening; and (5) Florida Business Registration for the past five (5) years. There are several additional requirements that we can discuss with you. You can schedule a 30 minute phone call to further discuss your options!
On September 20th, 2022, the OMMU announced its Pigford/BFL MMTC Licensee, Terry Donell Gwinn, who will now join Florida’s booming medical cannabis industry as Gwinn Brothers Medicinal.
Now is the time to get started with your business plan as the OMMU is establishing the new Application Window for the first batching cycle for the 2022-2023 MMTC licenses.We will update the site once the Application Window is set. If you are interested in acquiring a Florida Medical Marijuana Treatment Center (“MMTC”) License, then contact us to discuss your options.