How to get your medical marijuana card in Gainesville

Florida medical cannabis, briefly

Florida voters approved Amendment 2 in 2016, and the program is run by the Florida Department of Health through its Office of Medical Marijuana Use, the OMMU. To buy medical cannabis you need three things: Florida residency (permanent or seasonal both count), a diagnosis of a qualifying condition from a qualified physician who has entered you in the Medical Marijuana Use Registry, and an active Registry Identification Card.

Licensed Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers are the only businesses in Florida allowed to cultivate, process and dispense medical cannabis. Planet 13 is one of them. One rule specific to Florida shapes everything below: your first certification requires an in-person examination, so a physician you can actually get to matters.

Do you qualify?

Florida law names a set of qualifying conditions: cancer, epilepsy, glaucoma, HIV, AIDS, post-traumatic stress disorder, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Crohn disease, Parkinson disease and multiple sclerosis, along with terminal conditions and chronic nonmalignant pain caused by a qualifying condition.

The law also lets a qualified physician certify a comparable condition of the same kind or class as those listed. Whether a particular condition qualifies is that physician's determination to make after examining you, not something this page can tell you in advance. Bring any records that document your condition to the appointment.

Patients under 18

Florida does not set a minimum age for the program. It sets a different process. For a patient younger than 18, a second physician must agree with the certifying physician's determination, and that agreement is documented in the patient's medical record.

A patient under 18 also cannot buy for themselves: state law requires a registered caregiver to purchase or administer on the patient's behalf. The caregiver is entered in the registry and carries their own card, so plan for both applications rather than one.

How to get a medical marijuana card in Gainesville

1. Check eligibility You need to be a permanent or seasonal Florida resident with a qualifying condition, or a comparable condition a qualified physician determines is of the same kind or class. Patients under 18 must have a caregiver.
2. See a qualified physician Book an appointment with a Florida qualified physician, who reviews your condition and decides whether medical cannabis is appropriate. Your first certification requires an in-person examination. Fees are set by each practice, so ask what the visit costs when you book.
3. Get added to the registry If the physician approves you, they enter you into the Medical Marijuana Use Registry and you receive login credentials by email. Use the same email address you gave your physician, or the credentials will not reach you.
4. Apply for your ID card Log in to the registry, complete the application and upload residency documentation if it is requested. The state processing fee is $75, and paying online adds a $2.75 convenience fee.
5. Wait for approval, then shop Online applications average about ten business days for approval. Once approved you can purchase from any licensed Florida Medical Marijuana Treatment Center, including Planet 13, and you renew the card every year.

Tip. Apply online for the fastest process. If your Florida driver licence or ID already matches your current information, photo and residency verification may be easier.

Stuck on the state's side of the process? The OMMU help line is 800-808-9580, and applications are made at the state registry.

Already have a card? Two clocks to watch

The program runs on two separate clocks and they do not line up. Your Registry Identification Card is issued for one year and is renewed with the state for the same $75 fee. Your physician certification is separate and shorter: Florida caps a certification at 210 days, roughly seven months, so you will see a physician for recertification about twice a year.

Because you already have an in-person relationship on file, recertification visits can often be handled by telehealth. Start both renewals early rather than on the deadline, since a lapse in either one means a gap in access.

Can you start online?

Not for your first certification. Florida requires that initial examination to happen in person, which is why the directory on this page is organized by how far each physician is from the store. Renewals are the flexible part: once the in-person relationship exists, later visits can often happen by telehealth.

To search the whole state rather than one area, the Department of Health publishes its own qualified physician list and search tool.

Search the state physician directory or download the full qualified physician list.

Common questions

Does a Florida medical marijuana card work in other states?

Treat it as a Florida card. It is issued under Florida law and it is what lets you buy from a licensed Florida Medical Marijuana Treatment Center. Whether anywhere else honours it is decided by that state's own program, and those rules change, so check the program where you are going before you travel rather than assuming your card carries.

I have a medical card from another state. Can I use it here?

Not to purchase in Florida. Florida law defines a qualified patient as a resident of this state who has been added to the Medical Marijuana Use Registry by a qualified physician and who holds a Registry Identification Card, so the card has to be a Florida one. Seasonal residents can qualify as Florida residents, which is the route worth asking a qualified physician about if you spend part of the year here.

How hard is it to get approved?

The process is fixed by state law rather than judged case by case at the counter: see a qualified physician in person, be entered in the state registry if they certify you, apply to the state, and wait for the card. What varies is how quickly you can get a physician appointment and how long the state takes to process your application, which averages about ten business days online. Whether medical cannabis is appropriate for your condition is the physician's determination after examining you, and no page can answer that in advance.

Do I need a card to shop at Planet 13 in Florida?

Yes. Florida requires an active Medical Marijuana Use Registry Identification Card, issued after a qualified physician certifies you and enters that certification in the registry.

What does a Florida medical cannabis card cost?

The state processing fee is $75, and paying online adds a $2.75 convenience fee, so an online application comes to $77.75. That is the state charge only. The physician evaluation is separate and each practice sets its own fee, so ask when you book.

Can I get certified over telehealth in Florida?

Not for the first certification, which requires an in-person examination. Renewals can often be handled by telehealth once that relationship exists.

How long until I can buy?

Online applications average about ten business days for approval. Add the time it takes to get a physician appointment, and most patients are shopping within a few weeks of deciding to start.

Do I have to be a full-time Florida resident?

No. The state accepts permanent and seasonal Florida residents, each with its own proof-of-residency requirements published by the Department of Health.

This guide is general education, not medical or legal advice. Eligibility, products and dosing are decisions for a qualified physician. Program rules and fees are set by the Florida Department of Health and change from time to time, so confirm current requirements with the state registry before you rely on them.