No. However, St. Cloud does not prohibit the operations of medical marijuana dispensaries. Recreational cannabis dispensaries cannot operate within the city's borders because Florida has yet to legalize adult-use cannabis. Only medical marijuana has been legalized in the state.
While medical cannabis is legal in Florida, there are no medical marijuana dispensaries in St. Cloud. However, the city allows the establishment and operation of medical cannabis dispensaries, also known as Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers (MMTCs), within its borders, per Section 3.17.14 of the St. Cloud Code of Ordinances. Prospective owners of medical marijuana dispensaries in St. Cloud must obtain conditional use permits from the appointed local authority.
The Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act passed in 2014 allowed patients with some severe medical conditions to use low-THC cannabis. However, access to low-THC cannabis was limited as they could not get their medications directly from dispensing organizations. The Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act required them to go through Florida-licensed physicians who must be osteopathic or allopathic doctors for medications. This Act created the Office of Compassionate Use and tasked the Florida Department of Health (DOH) to administer the Florida medical cannabis program.
To enable qualifying patients to gain unrestricted access to medical cannabis, Florida voters, in 2016, approved Amendment 2, otherwise known as the Florida Medical Marijuana Legalization Initiative. This initiative legalized medical cannabis and expanded the list of medical conditions eligible for medical marijuana therapy. Additionally, the Office of Compassionate Use was renamed the Office of Medical Marijuana Use (OMMU), which has continued issuing licenses to Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers (MMTCs) across the state. As stipulated in the St. Cloud Code of Ordinances, prospective medical marijuana dispensaries may only situate their businesses in industrial districts 1, 2, and 3 of the city.
Yes, but only for medical purposes, as recreational cannabis remains banned in Florida. While there are no cannabis dispensaries in St. Cloud, several Florida-licensed dispensaries maintain online shop menus on their websites and provide home-delivery services. Cannabis patients living in St. Cloud can purchase marijuana online from such dispensaries, provided they are licensed by the OMMU. Typically, they can choose from a wide range of medical marijuana products and have their orders delivered to them in St. Cloud from any part of Florida.
Currently, there are no medical cannabis dispensaries in St. Cloud, while adult-use marijuana dispensaries are prohibited in compliance with Florida laws. Registered cannabis patients in the city can visit other licensed dispensaries in neighboring cities to fill their prescriptions. On arrival at a dispensary, particularly on the first visit, a patient is subjected to an intake procedure to determine their registration status under the Florida Marijuana Program. For subsequent visits, they only need to present a valid government-issued ID and their Florida-issued medical marijuana card. Cash is the acceptable means of payment for medical cannabis supplies at any Florida-licensed medical marijuana dispensary.
Recreational weed dispensaries are prohibited in St. Cloud, but the city permits the operations of medical marijuana dispensaries within its boundaries. While none operates in the city presently, prospective medical cannabis dispensaries in St. Cloud must adhere to the following laws as outlined in Section 3.17.14 of the City Code of Ordinances:
The sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages and the consumption of cannabis is prohibited on the premises of a medical marijuana dispensary
Medical cannabis dispensaries may only dispense cannabis to persons authorized to use medical marijuana. Dispensing cannabis to unaccompanied minors is prohibited
No marijuana dispensary may sell medical cannabis products through a drive-through window. All cannabis sales and payments must occur within the dispensary facility
Medical cannabis dispensaries in St. Cloud may operate within the following distance range:
Within 200 feet of any residence of residentially zoned property
Within 1,500 feet of another licensed medical cannabis dispensary
Within 750 feet of any childcare center, public park, or school
All recreational weed-related activities are prohibited in St. Cloud in line with Florida laws.
The following are some of the medical marijuana laws in St. Cloud:
Medical cannabis patients are prohibited from cultivating marijuana plants at home for personal use. Per Section 381.96 of the Florida Statutes, only licensed MMTCs are permitted to cultivate, process, and sell cannabis
Qualifying patients and caregivers must register in the state's medical marijuana program to legally access medical cannabis
It is illegal to drive a motor vehicle while impaired by cannabis or consume marijuana in public
The consumption of medical marijuana edibles is prohibited
Only individuals living with one or more of the medical conditions specified in Section 381.96(2), Title XXIX of the Florida Statutes, qualify for a Florida medical marijuana card in St. Cloud. The state's medical marijuana card is commonly called the Medical Marijuana Use Registry Card in Florida, and qualifying patients can apply for it in two ways: online and via mail.
Before applying for a Florida medical marijuana card in St. Cloud, an eligible patient must have a licensed/qualified physician enter their information in the Medical Marijuana Use Registry. Once this is done, the patient can create a user account online using the Medical Marijuana Use Registry Portal and proceed with their application afterward. The Office of Medical Marijuana Use (OMMU) provided applicants with Login Instructional Guide and Application Instructions to help them navigate the Medical Marijuana Use registration Portal.
The OMMU also provides patient application instructions for individuals who want to submit paper applications. St. Cloud residents who qualify for a state medical marijuana card can apply via mail and must provide the following:
Completed Patient Application Form
A $75 money order or check made out to the Florida Department of Health
Suitable proof of St. Cloud residency
These documents and payment evidence should be mailed to the OMMU at:
Florida Office of Medical Marijuana Use
P.O. Box 31313
Tampa, FL 33631-3313
A person's private residence is the only legal place to consume marijuana in St. Cloud. The consumption of medical cannabis in public is prohibited, per SB 8-A.
There are no cannabis dispensaries in St. Cloud. However, qualifying cannabis patients in the city can fill their cannabis prescriptions at licensed medical marijuana dispensaries near St. Cloud and must hold their medical marijuana cards when visiting. Note that the sale of recreational cannabis remains illegal in Florida.
While no medical cannabis dispensary operates in St. Cloud, registered patients buy an ounce of cannabis from dispensaries near them at an average of $265, depending on the quality.
Registered cannabis patients in St. Cloud favor marijuana strains such as Green Crack, Runtz, Big Love, Blue Dreams, Durban Poison, OG Kush, Jack Herer, Grape Ape, and Granddaddy Purple.
No. SB 8A prohibits smoking medical cannabis in public in St. Cloud and other parts of Florida.
The possession of any amount of recreational marijuana is illegal in St. Cloud, in compliance with Florida cannabis laws. However, registered cannabis patients may possess up to 4 ounces of marijuana at once. They may possess no more than a 70-day supply at any given time.
Federal laws prohibit transporting marijuana across state lines as it remains a Schedule I controlled substance. Hence, shipping it to St. Cloud from other states is illegal.
Yes, registered cannabis patients in St. Cloud can order medical marijuana online from licensed dispensaries in other Florida cities. The state permits cannabis delivery for orders made online.
While there are no cannabis dispensaries in St. Cloud presently, per Section 3.17.14 of the City Code or Ordinances, prospective dispensaries may only operate between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.
No, tourists cannot use cannabis dispensaries in St. Cloud.
There are no marijuana dispensaries in St. Cloud.
Currently, no cannabis dispensary operates in St. Cloud.
There are no licensed cannabis dispensaries in St. Cloud.
St. Cloud has no marijuana dispensaries within its borders.
Although there are no marijuana dispensaries in St. Cloud, no Florida-licensed dispensary can take credit cards for cannabis transactions.
There are no cannabis dispensaries in St. Cloud.
While no dispensary operates in St. Cloud, Florida-licensed cannabis dispensaries do not accept health insurance for medical marijuana sales.
There are no marijuana dispensaries in St. Cloud, but licensed dispensaries in Florida use Bio Track, the state's approved seed-to-sale tracing system, to monitor customers' purchases.
No medical cannabis dispensary operates in St. Cloud. However, cannabis patients in the city can enter licensed dispensaries in nearby towns/cities, provided they are at least 18 and have a state-issued medical marijuana card.
The Office of Medical Marijuana Use (OMMU) regulates cannabis in St. Cloud and has its contact information on its website.
Any observed illegal marijuana activities in St. Cloud can be reported to the St. Cloud Police Department at (407) 891-6700.