How it works

Before you book: verify the physician

Florida allows only physicians with an active, unrestricted license and the required state training to issue certifications. The state publishes every one of them in its official qualified physician search. Check any provider — including us — before you book. If a name is not there, or a clinic cannot name its physician, walk away. Our guide to finding a qualified physician shows exactly how verification works.

The process, step by step

Six steps, three actors. Notice how the physician's part ends before the state's part begins — that separation is the law, not our preference.

1. 01YouRequest an evaluationSchedule with the practice — name, contact details, preferred times. Our form never asks for diagnoses or records; clinical details belong in the exam room, not on a website.
2. 02PhysicianThe evaluationA qualified physician reviews your history and performs a physical examination — in person for every first certification. Then the physician decides: certify or decline. No one else gets a vote.
3. 03PhysicianRegistry entryIf you are certified, the physician enters the certification into Florida's Medical Marijuana Use Registry. That entry is what unlocks the state application — without it, there is no next step.
4. 04You + the stateState application and feeYou complete the state's application in the registry, provide identity and residency documentation, and pay the state fee directly to Florida. The practice never collects the state fee.
5. 05StateState ID cardThe state reviews the application and issues the registry ID card on its own timeline. We do not control that timeline, we cannot accelerate it, and we never quote it.
6. 06BothThe renewal cycleCertifications and cards expire on separate schedules. Renew the physician side with the practice — telehealth may be possible for eligible renewals — and the card side with the state.

The evaluation itself

Expect a real clinical visit: your medical history, your current medications, your condition, and — for first certifications — a physical examination. Bring a valid photo ID and whatever records you have. The physician's decision is a matter of clinical judgment: certification is never guaranteed, and if the physician declines, our cancellation policy means you are not charged for the evaluation.

One boundary matters here: clinical information flows through clinical channels. The website form is scheduling only, and it is not a HIPAA-secure channel.

After certification, the state takes over

Once a certification sits in the registry, our part is done until renewal. The application, the documents, the state fee, the review, the card — all state. A practice that claims to handle the state for you is overstating its role; what a good practice actually does is make sure you understand each state step and its official source.

Only an active, state-issued card lets you purchase from licensed treatment centers. The physician certification alone is not a card, and the card alone is not a certification.

Staying active: the renewal cycle

Two clocks start the day you are certified: your certification's schedule and your card's. Both dates are visible in the official registry. Renewals follow the same physician-first, state-second order, and some renewals qualify for telehealth under Florida law. Our renewal guide covers both tracks in detail.

Sources for this page

Every regulatory statement on this page traces back to an official Florida source with a verification date. If the state changes a rule, our review process catches it — and this page changes with it.