Possession of Marijuana Laws in Florida

Marijuana is still only legal in certain medical cases. Patients who have severe and debilitating medical conditions are allowed to carry a small amount of medical cannabis for medicinal purposes. Recreational use is still, as of now, illegal. However, several cities across Florida have made efforts to replace arrests for possession of under 20 grams of marijuana with citations, including Miami-Dade County, Tampa, Orlando, and Key West.

Penalties

If you don’t have a prescription for medical marijuana and are convicted of possessing a certain amount, you will likely be cited in the above cities and arrested and incarcerated in other cities. Florida is still not united in the decriminalization of marijuana possession in small amounts. Even if you are caught with 20 grams or less, you will be charged with a misdemeanor and potentially sentenced to up to 1 year in prison and fined $1,000. The punishments go up from there.

Any more than 20 grams of marijuana, and you will be facing a felony charge. The punishments for a felony possession of marijuana charge can range anywhere from 5 to 30 years, depending on how much of the substances you have. Likewise, the fines will range from $5,000 to $200,000, depending on the amount.

Amendment 2

Amendment 2, passed in 2016, legalized medical marijuana use for individuals with specific debilitating diseases. Prior to this change, any use of the drug was considered illegal, no matter how much pain your illness caused. This law went into effect on January 3, 2017.