Florida Is the Nation’s Fastest-Growing Medical Marijuana Market

Despite ongoing efforts by the Florida Legislature to thwart the will of the people, Florida likely has the fastest- growing medical marijuana program in the nation.

More than 213,000 people are enrolled, with 10,000-plus signing up every month.

New York, by comparison, implemented its medical marijuana program 18 months before the Sunshine State and has fewer than half the patients – even though the number of prescribing doctors is similar.

Arizona, which is probably second to Florida (no one group keeps comparable numbers), had almost triple the number of medical pot users at the beginning of 2018. By the end of March, the last numbers available, Florida had 8,000 more. 

David Kotler, a South Florida attorney who founded the Medical Marijuana Business Lawyers, LLC, says doctors here have been more eager to participate in the program than those in the Northeast states. He mentions Maryland in particular.

“Physicians in Florida were willing to see patients for eligible conditions,” he says. “In other states, it was slower to roll out.”