Florida is a sunshine-and-theme-park kind of trip, but cannabis rules can turn confusing fast—because tourists are dealing with two systems at once: Florida state law and U.S. federal law. The safest travel mindset is simple: don’t bring cannabis with you, don’t take it across borders (state or international), and don’t assume “legal somewhere” means “legal everywhere.”
Florida, in plain English
Florida is not an adult-use (recreational) cannabis state. In 2024, voters supported an adult-use legalization amendment, but it didn’t reach the 60% needed to pass, so Florida remains medical-only.
That means tourists can’t walk into a Florida dispensary and buy THC products just because they’re 21+. Florida’s Office of Medical Marijuana Use also says the state does not offer reciprocity—an out-of-state medical marijuana card typically won’t work for purchases in Florida.
If someone is a Florida-qualified patient (including certain seasonal residents who go through Florida’s registry process), the program has specific purchase/dispensing limits and “supply” rules written into state law. Florida’s statute sets 70-day supply limits for most forms and 35-day supply limits for smokable cannabis certifications.
Federal law is the part travelers forget
Even if a state allows cannabis, federal law still matters in key travel zones. Under the federal Controlled Substances Act, marijuana remains a Schedule I controlled substance (with narrow research exceptions).
That has three big tourist consequences:
- Airports and flights: TSA is a federal agency, and its own guidance says marijuana (and most THC products) remains illegal under federal law, with limited exceptions for certain hemp-derived products (≤0.3% delta-9 THC) and FDA-approved medications. If TSA finds marijuana, they may refer the matter to law enforcement.
- Borders, cruises, and ports: U.S. Customs and Border Protection has repeatedly reminded travelers that marijuana remains illegal under federal law—so bringing it into the U.S. (or trying to leave the U.S. with it) can create serious problems. Cruise lines also ban marijuana on board because they must follow federal law.
- Federal property: National parks, some beaches and preserves, many government buildings, and certain waterfront areas can be federal jurisdiction. Cannabis possession can still be enforced there under federal rules, and federal prosecutors have recently emphasized tougher enforcement on federal lands in at least some regions.
A practical tourist playbook
• Buy local, use local, leave it behind. If cannabis is part of a visitor’s wellness routine, the lowest-risk approach is to avoid transporting it and instead follow the destination’s rules.
• Don’t consume in public. Florida’s medical program is not a “smoke-anywhere” pass, and public use can create separate problems (and unwanted attention).
• Be extra careful with “legal hemp” edibles. Many products marketed as hemp-derived may still contain intoxicating cannabinoids; packaging claims don’t guarantee compliance with TSA or local enforcement.
• Only buy from licensed operators. In Florida that means state-licensed Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers serving registered patients; street purchases can carry criminal penalties and contamination risks—and can ruin a vacation.
• If driving, treat the car like an “open container” situation: keep products sealed, out of reach, and never drive impaired.
Bottom line: Florida is a medical program state, federal law still governs travel corridors, and the smartest vacation move is to keep cannabis off the itinerary until you arrive—and to keep it out of your luggage when you leave.