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Florida – allowed marijuana usage and limitations

Although this is not the case right now, recreational use of marijuana in Florida is likely to be allowed in the future. The current state of affairs, however, do not allow for anything more than what would be considered as medical use only.

Generally speaking, the legal aspect of marijuana consumption in Florida is rather complicated, and some municipalities have their own individual rules. Initially, back in 2014, patients who received a harsh diagnosis were able to access a special strain of medical cannabis rich in cannabidiol, but low in THC. Since 2016 and onwards, the chemical composition of marijuana the qualifying medical patients can access is no longer an issue.

If you want to get your hands on a medical marijuana license in Florida, you need to have one of the following conditions:

– HIV/AIDS
– PTSD
– Crohn’s disease
– Glaucoma
– Cancer
– Epilepsy
– Parkinson’s disease
– Multiple sclerosis

Either one of these or another debilitating medical condition that your physician believes justifies being granted one. In practice, however, they are not as likely to give you their blessing unless your condition is listed above.

When it comes to smoking marijuana in public while you’re in Florida, don’t even think about it, since you can get arrested on the basis of that. The same goes for driving under its influence, but this is to be expected.

In Florida, it’s illegal to be caught in possession of marijuana, and you are not allowed to distribute it either. The only one who can do so without breaking the legal boundaries is an officially-appointed dispensary. Currently, there are seven nurseries in Florida you can legally acquire marijuana from if you qualify.

Sadly, even if you’re a proud owner of a medical marijuana license, you cannot grow your own plant, at least not without getting in trouble with the Florida law.

As you can see, the marijuana usage laws in Florida are pretty strict. But there are a couple of noteworthy exceptions. For example, if you’re caught carrying 20 grams of weed or less in Orlando, you’re only going to receive a fine of $100; you won’t be arrested. Bear in mind this is only true for first-time offenders, the fine goes up the more times you’re caught. Repeat offenders can even get a fine of $500 and be summoned to court. Still, that is up to the officer to decide, and if you’re suspected in being involved in a serious crime, an arrest can occur as well.

If you’re caught carrying more than 20 grams of marijuana in Florida, you may be required to serve a prison sentence of up to 5 years. Having more than 25 lbs of marijuana on you is considered to be drug trafficking, which is a 1^st degree felony. Expect a punishment of $25K and 3 years of prison time. The maximum marijuana-related sentence you can get in Florida equals 15 years in prison and $200K in fines.

Therefore, it’s best to avoid having anything to do with marijuana in Florida, unless you qualify for a medical marijuana license. Either that, or make sure to only smoke it in private.