No. Adult-use marijuana dispensaries are illegal businesses in the whole of Florida pursuant to the law classifying cannabis as a Schedule I controlled drug in the state. Schedule I controlled drugs and substances are not typically sold to the public. Hence, no permit or license is issued by the State of Florida or the City of Ocala for the retail sales of recreational cannabis.
Yes. Pursuant to Amendment 2, a modification to the initial medical marijuana law in Florida, approved entities are authorized to establish medical marijuana treatment centers (MMTCs) in the state. The City of Ocala is home to no less than 10 medical marijuana treatment centers. Note that MMTCs are the same as medical marijuana dispensaries in Florida.
Qualified patients can legally purchase medical marijuana from licensed medical marijuana dispensaries in the city and other Florida municipalities.
Only persons who have been issued Florida medical marijuana cards are permitted to visit cannabis dispensaries in Ocala. There are no recreational cannabis dispensaries in the city; therefore, recreational cannabis users cannot purchase adult-use cannabis in the city or anywhere else in the state. To verify that you are an authorized medical cannabis patient in Florida, an employee of the dispensary will scan your medical marijuana card before you enter a dispensary. It is recommended that you also visit an MMTC with a government-issued ID, such as a Florida-issued driver's license or another ID issued by the state.
Once you enter an Ocala dispensary, you can expect to find most of the popular cannabis strains on the shelves of the MMTCs. The city has some of the top-rated cannabis dispensaries in Florida. You can find medical cannabis in the form of flowers, edibles, concentrates, tinctures, and oils. Note that each product has different potency levels, and prices may vary from dispensary to dispensary. If you are in doubt about which product form best fits your condition, you may speak with the attendants or budtenders, who are typically knowledgeable about the products on sale. Florida takes the health of its residents seriously and therefore has stringent regulations for the testing and packaging of the products sold at its MMTCs. Hence, you can also expect to find safe-to-use products at Ocala MMTCs.
Typically, no patient will be allowed to purchase more than a 70-day supply of non-smokable medical marijuana products and a 35-day supply of smokable medical marijuana products. To ensure these limits are respected, Ocala MMTCs and other Florida medical marijuana dispensaries track medical cannabis purchases. Also, payment for medical marijuana products is usually completed with cash or a debit card. If you are out of cash, you can use an ATM on the site of the MMTC to withdraw cash for your purchases.
The marijuana dispensaries operating in Ocala are required to abide by the following regulations:
Prior to starting operations in Ocala, dispensaries must obtain licenses and permits from the Florida Office of Medical Marijuana Use and the City of Ocala
No dispensary may sell recreational cannabis
No person may be allowed to purchase medical marijuana without presenting a valid Florida medical marijuana card
Cannabis use may not occur on the site of an MMTC
In Ocala, cannabis is categorized as a Schedule I controlled substance, and it is a criminal offense to possess any quantity of cannabis without a prescription. Possessing less than 20 grams of cannabis is classified as a misdemeanor offense while possessing more than 20 grams of cannabis is classified as a felony. However, possessing cannabis concentrates, including cannabis resin, cannabis oil, cannabis wax, and hashish oil may be prosecuted as a separate felony offense.
Note that the penalties for marijuana possession in a particular case may depend on other factors such as previous criminal history and intention to possess marijuana. For instance, the penalties will be harsher if an offender possesses marijuana with the intent to sell or distribute cannabis to minors.
The Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act passed in 2104, and its recent modification – Amendment 2, form the basis of medical marijuana laws in Ocala. The law permits persons with qualifying medical conditions, such as epilepsy, glaucoma, Crohn’s disease, cancer, PTSD, HIV/AIDS, and Parkinson’s disease, to use medical marijuana to treat their conditions.
Pursuant to Amendment 2:
Patients may possess up to 70 days’ worth of non-smokable medical cannabis forms and 35 days' supplies of smokable medical cannabis forms
It is illegal to grow cannabis at home for personal medical use
It is illegal to use or possess cannabis in public and on federal property
No patient may share medical cannabis with other patients or recreational user
If you are a Florida resident and have a condition that has been approved by Florida to be treated with medical marijuana, you can apply for a medical marijuana card. Note that you do not have to be a permanent Ocala resident to be eligible to apply. Seasonal residents who live in the city for a minimum of 31 days every year and maintain a temporary residence may qualify to apply.
Other than the residency requirement, a medical marijuana card applicant is also required to obtain a certification to use medical marijuana from a Florida-licensed physician. The Office of Medical Marijuana Use in the state provides a tool for applicants to search for physicians approved to issue medical cannabis recommendations.
After finding a qualified physician, set up an appointment with the healthcare practitioner in order to have your medical and personal information included in the Florida Medical Marijuana Use Registry (MMUR). After your certifying physician adds your information to the registry, you will get a notification from the OMMU with details on completing your registration in the MMUR.
On the application portal, you will be required to provide the following
A completed application form
A check or money order of $75 made out to the Florida Department of Health
A passport-style photo
If you are completing your application by mail, the items listed above must be sent to:
Office of Medical Marijuana Use
PO Box 31313
Tampa, FL 33631-3313
You may use the application guide provided on the OMMU website to obtain more information on completing your application for a medical marijuana card. Your card should be ready for pickup within 4 weeks.
Recreational cannabis use is illegal at all locations in Ocala. However, medical cannabis use is legal on private properties. Even then, Florida does not allow the use of medical cannabis in a state correctional institute, in public transportation, on a school bus, at schools or colleges, and at places of employment, except permitted by an employer.
You need a valid Florida medical marijuana card and a government ID to purchase cannabis at an Ocala MMTC. You should also visit the locations of Ocala medical marijuana dispensaries with cash, as most dispensing sites accept cash.
A gram of pre-rolls in Ocala costs between $10 and $15, while 1 gram of concentrates costs between $35 and $65.
Some of the most popular cannabis strains in the city are:
Skywalker OG
Ice Cream Haze
Trainwreck
Super Lemon Haze
Smoking cannabis in public places is illegal in Ocala.
It is an offense to possess any quantity of cannabis for recreational purposes. Nevertheless, individuals registered as patients in Florida are allowed to possess up to a 35-day supply of smokable medical marijuana and up to 70-day supplies of other types of medical cannabis.
Transporting cannabis into Ocala is permitted only if you are moving it from another address within Florida to the city. However, if the transportation involves shipping or traveling across state lines, it violates federal law.
You can order medical cannabis online from Ocala MMTCs or Florida MMTCs that offer online orders.
There are no 24-hour MMTCs in Ocala.
Ocala MMTCs are not open to tourists. Only persons with valid Florida medical marijuana cards can use the MMTCs in the city.
You must have a valid OMMU-issued medical marijuana card and a government-issued photo ID to use an Ocala MMTC.
Curaleaf, MUV, and Surterra Wellness are top-rated MMTCs in Ocala.
Ocala MMTC abides by state regulations requiring dispensaries to ensure only persons with valid identities can purchase medical cannabis from licensed outlets. In adherence to this regulation, Ocala dispensaries scan the IDs of their customers.
There are 10 cannabis dispensaries in the City of Ocala.
Credit cards are not accepted at Ocala MMTCs.
You may visit several Ocala MMTCs in one day. However, you cannot buy more medical cannabis or medical cannabis products than is permitted under the law.
Ocala MMTCs do not allow customers to cover medical cannabis purchases with health insurance plans.
Yes. MMTCs in Ocala monitor the purchases of weed to ensure that customers do not exceed the maximum amount of cannabis products allowed by the state.
You can enter an Ocala MMTC at 18 if you have a medical marijuana card issued by the Florida Office of Medical Marijuana Use.
Cannabis activities in Ocala are regulated by the Office of Medical Marijuana Use (OMMU). You may contact the OMMU at:
Department of Health
Office of Medical Marijuana Use
4052 Bald Cypress Way, Bin M-01
Tallahassee, FL 32399
To report illicit marijuana-related activities in Ocala, contact the Ocala Police Department. To contact the city PD, call (352) 369-7000. Alternatively, you may report an illegal cannabis operation by filing a complaint to the Office of Medical Marijuana Use (OMMU).