Florida’s medical cannabis distribution is overseen by the Florida Department of Health’s Office of Medical Marijuana Use (OMMU). Only licensed Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers (MMTCs) are authorized to cultivate, process, transport, and dispense low‑THC cannabis and medical marijuana to patients and registered caregivers.
1. Licensing & Vertical Integration
Under Florida Statute § 381.986, MMTCs must be state‑licensed entities. They must demonstrate capacity to vertically integrate—cultivation, processing, distribution, and dispensing—under one entity. However, legal challenges in 2018–19 struck down early restrictions limiting licenses to a few vertically integrated “cartel‑like” entities.
2. MMTC Application & Regional Access
The Department licenses MMTCs to ensure statewide access—one each in northwest, northeast, central, southeast, and southwest Florida. Applicants must pay fees, show financial stability, technical capacity to cultivate and track products, and implement security systems and record‑keeping protocols.
3. Cultivation, Processing & Testing Standards
MMTCs must comply with strict agricultural and processing standards:
- Grow cannabis indoors, with controlled pesticide use in consultation with the Department of Agriculture.
- Process cannabis in segregated facilities.
- Perform safety testing on all batches and retain samples for at least nine months.
- Package in child‑resistant, properly labeled containers (batch number, source MMTC, Poison Prevention Packaging Act compliant).
They also contract independent labs for SOP audits and maintain a seed‑to‑sale tracking system approved by the Department.
4. Security, Storage & Transportation
Dispensing facilities must:
- Have alarm systems securing all entry points, motion detectors, duress/panic alarms.
- Store products in locked vaults or secured rooms.
- Keep two employees (or contracted security) on site at all times.
- Not dispense after 9 p.m. or before 7 a.m., though delivery operations may continue 24/7.
For transport:
- Maintain manifests retained ≥1 year.
- Use secure compartments and lock during delivery.
- Require two people in each vehicle—one must remain with it while unloading.
MMTCs must report any theft, loss, or diversion to law enforcement within 24 hours.
5. Dispensing Regulations
When dispensing, MMTCs must:
- Verify physician orders and registry status via the state’s compassionate-use registry.
- Limit dispensing to a 45-day supply per order.
- Log date, time, quantity, form dispensed, and device used.
- Only dispense physician-approved cannabis and delivery devices—not ancillary items like pipes or rolling papers.
6. Registry & Physician Oversight
The Medical Marijuana Use Registry is the statewide electronic system that grants access control. Only authorized patients and caregivers possessing valid MMU registry cards and photo ID can legally receive products. Physicians must:
- Complete mandatory training.
- Register with the registry.
- Certify qualifications.
- Limit prescriptions to a 45-day supply.
- Submit treatment plans quarterly to the University of Florida College of Pharmacy.
7. Local Zoning & Bans
Florida law allows counties and municipalities to ban MMTC dispensing facilities or restrict their location, but cannot impose numerical caps beyond pharmacy-level limits. This has resulted in varied access across jurisdictions, including delays in cities like Miami.
To Summarize
Florida’s cannabis distribution framework is tightly regulated: only vertically integrated MMTCs may operate; they must adhere to rigorous cultivation, processing, security, tracking, testing, dispensing, and record‑keeping standards. Physician oversight and patient registry systems ensure control and compliance. Local governments may impose zoning restrictions, but not limit the number of facilities. Understanding the interplay of state and local regulations is essential for compliant cannabis distribution operations in Florida.