You can only legally buy weed in Key West if you are a registered patient in Florida’s medical marijuana program. Recreational cannabis is not legal in Florida, so a licensed dispensary in Key West will fill an order only for someone holding a valid state medical marijuana registry identification card. Walk in without one and you will be turned away.
Recreational Cannabis Is Still Illegal in Florida
Possession without a medical card is a criminal offense statewide. Having 20 grams or less is a first-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.1Justia Law. Florida Code 893.13 – Prohibited Acts; Penalties2Florida Senate. Florida Code 775.083 – Fines Anything above 20 grams jumps to a third-degree felony carrying up to five years in prison.
Florida voters came close to changing that in November 2024. Amendment 3, which would have legalized recreational cannabis for adults 21 and older, drew roughly 56 percent support, but constitutional amendments require 60 percent. Recreational sales stay off the table through at least 2026.
Key West’s Local Civil Citation
Key West’s city council passed a resolution in 2015 allowing officers to issue a $100 civil citation for possession of 20 grams or less rather than making a criminal arrest. This does not legalize anything. Officers keep full discretion to arrest under state law, and the citation option only exists inside city limits. Treat it as a possible alternative some officers may choose, not permission to carry.
Who Qualifies for a Florida Medical Card
Florida limits medical marijuana to residents diagnosed with specific conditions. A qualified physician must confirm at least one of the following:3Online Sunshine. Florida Code 381.986 – Medical Use of Marijuana
- Cancer
- Epilepsy
- Glaucoma
- HIV or AIDS
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- Crohn’s disease
- Parkinson’s disease
- Multiple sclerosis
- A terminal condition diagnosed by a separate physician
- Chronic nonmalignant pain
- Conditions comparable to those listed above
That last category gives physicians some flexibility to certify conditions similar in kind or severity to the listed ones. Pregnant patients cannot be certified for high-THC marijuana, though low-THC cannabis remains an option.3Online Sunshine. Florida Code 381.986 – Medical Use of Marijuana
Seasonal Residents
You do not need a Florida driver’s license. Seasonal residents can prove residency with two documents from a list that includes a lease or mortgage statement, a utility bill no more than two months old, bank or investment account mail no more than two months old, or government mail no more than two months old. The name and address must match your application.4Office of Medical Marijuana Use. MMUR Identification Cards
How to Get the Card
The process runs in three steps: certification, application, renewal.
The Physician Visit
Start with a physician registered with Florida’s Office of Medical Marijuana Use. The first visit must be in person; telehealth is not allowed for an initial certification. The physician conducts a physical exam, reviews your medical history, checks the state prescription drug monitoring database, and decides whether cannabis is likely to help more than harm.3Online Sunshine. Florida Code 381.986 – Medical Use of Marijuana If you qualify, the certification goes into the Medical Marijuana Use Registry. Consultation fees typically run $150 to $300.
Applying to the Registry
Once your certification is entered, you log into the Medical Marijuana Use Registry and submit your card application with a passport-style photo and proof of Florida residency. The state charges a $75 processing fee, plus a $2.75 convenience fee for online payment.4Office of Medical Marijuana Use. MMUR Identification Cards After approval, you can start buying immediately. You do not have to wait for the physical card in the mail.
Keeping It Active
The card is valid for one year and renews for another $75. Separately, the physician certification expires every 210 days, so your doctor has to renew that piece for you to keep buying. Follow-up certifications can be done through telehealth, so a seasonal resident does not need to fly back for each renewal.3Online Sunshine. Florida Code 381.986 – Medical Use of Marijuana If either the card or the certification lapses, dispensaries stop selling to you until you fix it.
Buying at a Key West Dispensary
All medical cannabis in Florida is sold through licensed Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers, the only businesses authorized to grow, process, and dispense it to patients.5Office of Medical Marijuana Use. Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers Key West has at least one dispensary location, and several MMTCs also deliver to Monroe County addresses. You present your registry card at pickup or delivery, and the purchase is recorded against your allotment in the state registry.
Product options at Florida dispensaries include whole flower, pre-rolls, vape cartridges, oils, tinctures, edibles, concentrates, and topicals. Your certification specifies which forms and routes of administration you are approved for, so not every product is available to every patient.
Possession Limits and Where You Can Use It
Florida caps how much medical cannabis you can hold at any time:
- Smokable flower: up to 2.5 ounces per 35-day period.6Legal Information Institute. Florida Administrative Code 64ER22-8 – Dosing and Supply Limits for Medical Marijuana
- All other forms: a 70-day supply not exceeding 24,500 milligrams of THC.6Legal Information Institute. Florida Administrative Code 64ER22-8 – Dosing and Supply Limits for Medical Marijuana
Your physician also sets a daily dose within those caps, so your personal limit may be lower than the statewide maximum.
Using high-THC medical marijuana in public is a first-degree misdemeanor, carrying the same penalties as unlawful possession. The prohibition covers public places, public transportation, school grounds, vehicles, boats, and aircraft. Your workplace is also off-limits unless your employer specifically permits it.3Online Sunshine. Florida Code 381.986 – Medical Use of Marijuana Low-THC cannabis gets an exception and may be used in public or on transportation as long as it is not smoked.
Keep purchases in their original sealed packaging while moving around town. Consuming any form while driving or operating a boat is illegal regardless of your card. Sharing or selling your medical cannabis to anyone, even another registered patient, is a crime.
Hemp-Derived THC Products in Key West Shops
Smoke shops and some convenience stores in Key West sell hemp-derived products containing delta-8 THC, delta-10, and related cannabinoids. These sit in a different legal lane from medical marijuana. Florida allows their sale under the state’s hemp extract rules, and you must be 21 or older to buy any hemp product intended for ingestion or inhalation. No medical card is required.
The federal picture is shifting. A federal law signed in 2025 (Public Law 119-37) redefines lawful hemp and takes effect on November 12, 2026. Once enforced, it will sharply restrict hemp-derived THC products at the federal level. A product legal in a Key West shop today could be federally noncompliant by the end of 2026, so anyone relying on these products should track both state rules and that federal deadline.
Federal Law Risks for Cardholders
A Florida card creates a conflict with federal law that catches people off guard. Cannabis remains a Schedule I controlled substance federally, and Florida’s medical program cannot override the consequences that follow.
Firearms are the biggest one. Federal law makes it illegal for any user of a controlled substance to possess a gun or ammunition, punishable by up to 15 years in prison.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts The ATF’s firearms purchase form (Form 4473) asks whether the buyer is an unlawful user of any controlled substance and specifically notes that marijuana is federally illegal regardless of state law. Answering “no” while holding a medical card is a federal felony. The issue is before the U.S. Supreme Court as of early 2026, but until the Court rules or Congress acts, the prohibition stands.
Federal property is the other trap. Military bases, national parks, federal courthouses, and federally subsidized housing all fall under federal jurisdiction, and Key West contains several federal sites, including Naval Air Station Key West and Fort Zachary Taylor. Possessing medical cannabis on any of them is a federal offense, and your state card offers no protection there.