Naples is a great place to visit in Florida, but you need to be aware of the cannabis laws if you are interesting in indulging.
Recreational use of marijuana is against the law in this state. There are various penalties for breaking this law that you should know about.
Medicinal Marijuana
Medicinal use of marijuana was approved on November 8th, 2016 by a wide margin. It requires a doctor’s recommendation and a medical marijuana card. Some of the approved conditions include HIV, glaucoma, cancer, epilepsy, Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson’s disease.
Possession of Marijuana
If you are caught with 20 grams or less of marijuana without a medical card, you could get up to 1 year in jail and a $1,000 maximum fine. This is considered to be a misdemeanor. Anything more than 20 grams is a felony.
Possession of 21 grams to 25 pounds carries a potential sentence of 5 years in jail and a fine of up to $5,000.
Upwards of 25 grams but less than 2,000 pounds is a sentence of 3-15 years and a maximum fine of $25,000.
More than 2,000 pounds but less than 10,000 pounds comes with a sentence of 7-30 years and a fine of up to $50,000.
If you are caught in possession cannabis paraphernalia, you could get up to 1 year in jail with a maximum fine of $1,000.
Any possession of hashish or concentrated is a felony and carries a sentence of up to 5 years in jail and a maximum fine of $5,000. The penalty for selling, manufacturing or delivering hashish carries the same penalty.
Distribution of Cannabis
The penalties for distributing/selling cannabis are largely the same as possession in the state of Florida. The maximum penalty is 15-30 years and a penalty of up to $200,000 for selling 10,000 pounds or more.
Selling cannabis within 1,000 feet of a park, college or school of any kind is considered a felony. You could get up to 15 years in jail and a maximum fine of $10,000.
CBD Legality
You must have a prescription for CBD if it contains any amount of THC at all. This differs greatly from many other places in the country, which have legalized hemp-derived CBD. Medical CBD is available for those who have a Florida medical marijuana card.
The qualifying conditions for medical CBD include:
- Cancer
- Muscle spasms
- Seizures
- Terminal illness (12 months or less to live)
Those who are legally allowed to use CBD for medicinal purposes are allowed to have it delivered to their home. This is a service that many state-licensed dispensaries offer to patients.
Any terminally ill patients that want to use CBD with a high THC potency need to get them from a state-licensed producer or dispensary.
Final Thoughts
Unless you have a medical marijuana card in the state of Florida, you cannot legally use or possess any cannabis products, including CBD. While a number of counties across this state have decriminalized marijuana possession under 20 grams, Naples is not yet one of them.