SB 2514 Law Establishing Revoking of Medical Cannabis Cards for Drug-Related Crimes, Signed by Governor DeSantis

Image | adobe.stock/Jiri Hera

SB 2514 was recently signed into law by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. The bill establishes that the state of Florida can revoke medical cannabis cards licensed in the Sunshine State for individuals that have been convicted of drug-related crimes (1). The Florida Department of Health will be able to “revoke the medical marijuana use registry registration of qualified patients and caregivers who enter certain pleas or are found guilty of certain offenses,” (2,3). Ganjapreneur (1,4) also reported that the Health and Human Services appropriation bill would “immediately suspend the registration of a qualified patient charged with a violation of the state’s Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act until final disposition of the alleged offense.”

Individuals who have their medical cannabis card revoked will be able to reapply to take part in the program again once they have “completed all terms” in relation to their drug-related conviction (4). SB 2514 can additionally revoke the medical cannabis card of not only the patient but the caregiver as well. The state would be entitled to do so “if such violation was for trafficking in, the sale, manufacture, or delivery of, or possession with intent to sell, manufacture, or deliver a controlled substance,” (1).

A previous version of the bill originally ordered for medical cannabis card registrations to be revoked for any patient or caregiver if they were convicted of minor drug-related offenses which included (4) “those specific to the purchase of more than ten grams of marijuana. That language was eventually amended in a conference committee.”

NORML commented on the new bill and was opposed to the new restrictions it implements (4), “Patients do not lose their access to opioids and other traditional medications based on past convictions. They should not lose their access to medical cannabis either.”

Currently it is estimated that around 900,000 Florida residents are registered in the medical cannabis access program (4).

The Compassionate Healthcare of Florida organization said that (5), “SB 2514 is a significant shift in how Florida regulates its medical marijuana program. While supporters argue it’s a measure to ensure public safety and accountability, critics see it as a punitive step that could undermine patient access to much-needed care. With the 2026 legalization ballot on the horizon, the debate over how Florida should handle marijuana—medical or otherwise—is far from over.” The organization added, “For patients, caregivers, and advocates, the message is clear: stay informed, stay compliant, and stay engaged in the evolving landscape of Florida cannabis law.”

References

1. Branfalt, T.; Abbott, G. DeSantis signs law allowing revocation of medical cannabis cards for drug crimes https://ganjapreneur.com/gov-signs-florida-law-allowing-revocation-of-medical-cannabis-cards-for-drug-crimes/ (accessed Jul 8, 2025).
2. The Florida Senate https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2025/2514/?Tab=BillHistory (accessed Jul 8, 2025).
3. Florida SB 2514 https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2025/2514/BillText/er/HTML (accessed Jul 8, 2025).
4. Norml. Florida suspends medical cannabis access for those with drug convictions https://norml.org/news/2025/07/03/florida-new-law-suspends-medical-cannabis-access-to-those-with-certain-drug-convictions/ (accessed Jul 8, 2025).
5. Florida’s new law could revoke your medical marijuana card for drug convictions https://www.flmmjhealth.com/floridas-new-law-could-revoke-your-medical-marijuana-card-for-drug-convictions/ (accessed Jul 8, 2025).