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4/20 holiday is this month. Is weed legal in Florida?

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4/20 holiday is this month. Is weed legal in Florida?


As many Americans gather to celebrate Easter this weekend, hundreds of thousands across the country are also gearing up for a different kind of holiday later this month.

“4/20” is cannabis culture slang for marijuana consumption, which makes April 20 (or 4/20) the designated holiday for stoners across the globe.

But is weed even legal in Florida? Here’s what to know before you light up later this month.

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When did ‘4/20 Day’ holiday start? See rumored origins

The true origin of why marijuana lovers spark up on 4/20 (or even associate the time 4:20 with smoking pot) isn’t clear, but there are two rumored possibilities:

  • The unofficial story of a group of high school students in the 1970s in California, who allegedly would meet to smoke pot every day at 4:20 p.m. However, this has never been confirmed.
  • According to a Vox article on the origins of the holiday, “One common belief is that 420 was the California police or penal code for marijuana, but there’s no evidence to support those claims.”

Can you smoke marijuana recreationally in Florida?

No, you cannot.

Despite receiving 55.9% of the votes, 2024’s Amendment 3, which sought to legalize recreational marijuana, did not achieve the 60% threshold needed to pass during the General Election. It saw 5,934,139 votes in total.

Is medical marijuana legal in Florida?

Medical marijuana is legal in Florida for residents diagnosed with a specific set of conditions who have applied for and received a Medical Marijuana ID Card or caregivers who have received a Medical Marijuana Caregiver Card.

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The following conditions are eligible for and to receive a Medical Marijuana Card:

  • Cancer
  • Epilepsy
  • Glaucoma
  • HIV (human immunodeficiency virus)
  • AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)
  • PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder)
  • ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis)
  • Crohn’s disease
  • Parkinson’s disease
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Comparable medical conditions or status to the above
  • A terminal condition
  • Chronic nonmalignant pain

Can I bring weed if I have a medical marijuana card from another state?

No. The state of Florida does not honor other states’ medical marijuana cards.

Can I get busted for possessing weed in Florida?

Without a Medical Marijuana Card (or Medical Marijuana Caregiver Card, for people assisting medical marijuana patients who are minors or who need help), if you are caught with pot, marijuana advocacy group NORML lists the following penalties under Florida Statutes:

  • Possessing 20 grams or less: first-degree misdemeanor, up to one year in jail and a maximum $1,000 fine.
  • Possession of paraphernalia: Misdemeanor, up to one year in jail and a maximum $1,000 fine.
  • Possessing marijuana within 1,000 feet of a school, college, park or other specified areas: Felony, mandatory three-year sentence and maximum $10,000 fine.
  • Possessing from 20 grams to 25 pounds: Felony, up to five years in jail and a maximum $5,000 fine.
  • Possessing from 25 to 2,000 pounds of marijuana: First-degree felony, from three to 15 years in jail and a $25,000 fine.
  • Possessing from 2,000 to 10,000 pounds of marijuana: First-degree felony, from seven to 30 years and a $50,000 fine.
  • Possessing more than 10,000 pounds of marijuana: First-degree felony, from 15 to 30 years and a $200,000 fine.

However, many communities and municipalities have decriminalized possession of up to 20 grams of marijuana, meaning if you’re busted, you’ll get a fine (which will go up each time) and you may be required to attend a drug education program or do community service.

Areas that have decriminalized pot include Alachua County, Broward County, Cocoa Beach, Hallandale Beach, Key West, Miami Beach, Miami-Dade County, Orlando, Osceola County, Palm Beach County, Port Richey, Sarasota, Tampa and Volusia County.

Is it legal to sell weed in Florida?

Only licensed medical marijuana dispensaries may sell marijuana in the state of Florida. Even if the proposed recreational amendment passes next year, you still would have to buy your pot at a licensed dispensary.

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People charged with selling marijuana can face the following:

  • 25 grams or less, without renumeration: Misdemeanor, maximum 1 year in jail, $1,000 fine.
  • 20 grams to 25 pounds: Felony, maximum 5 years in jail, $5,000 fine.
  • 25 to less than 2,000 pounds or 300-2,000 plants: Felony, three to 15 years, maximum $25,000 fine.
  • 2,000 to less than 10,000 pounds or 2,000-10,000 plants: Felony, seven to 30 years, maximum $50,000 fine.
  • 10,000 pounds or more: Felony, 15 to 30 years, maximum $200,000 fine.
  • If within 1,000 feet of a school, college, park, or other specified areas: An additional 3-15 years, $10,000 fine

Are low-THC products like delta-8, delta-9, delta-10 or THC-O legal in Florida?

Assorted different types of so-called “diet weed” cannabinoids, such as delta-8, delta-9, delta-10 and THC-O, which are derived from hemp and not marijuana and contain lower levels of THC, are sort of legal here under the 2018 federal Farm Bill that allows farmers to grow industrial hemp.

While the Florida Legislature passed a bill in 2024 that effectively banned delta-8 and delta-10 products and set a 5-milligram-per-serving limit on delta-9, Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed it, reportedly to protect small businesses.

However, they remain federally illegal.

Samantha Neely is a trending reporter for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida, covering pop culture, theme parks, breaking news and more. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters.



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FBI says suspects tried to rob Offset outside a Florida casino when he was shot in the leg

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FBI says suspects tried to rob Offset outside a Florida casino when he was shot in the leg


The rapper Offset was ambushed by a “large group” of people who tried to rob him outside a Florida casino last week when he was shot in the leg, the FBI said Tuesday.

Federal investigators said that they are still searching for the suspects who assaulted Offset last Monday night outside of Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood, just north of Miami. Throughout the assault, a single shot was fired into Offset’s leg before an unsuccessful attempt to remove the rapper’s watch, the statement said. Offset, who rose to fame as part of the influential hip-hop trio Migos, was hospitalized for a couple of days, but swiftly returned to the stage at a performance at a music festival at the University of Arkansas on Saturday.

The suspects fled the scene in two Chevrolet SUVs that went in separate directions: A black Suburban that fled towards Hollywood, Florida, and a Tahoe that fled southbound towards Miami.

Following the shooting, officers detained two people, but law enforcement hasn’t shared evidence to directly tying either one to the shooting.

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One of the people detained was rapper Lil Tjay, born Tione Jayden Merritt. He was arrested in connection with an altercation that occurred before the shooting, the Seminole Police Department in Florida said. He was charged with disorderly conduct and operating a vehicle without a valid license. His lawyer, Dawn M. Florio, told The Associated Press last week that Lil Tjay did not have a gun and was not charged with any weapons or gun-related crimes. He was swiftly released after posting bond.

Offset, born Kiari Kendrell Cephus, launched his career with Migos, one of the most popular hip-hop groups of all time. The Atlanta trio is celebrated for their rapid-fire triplet flow, an often-imitated delivery that changed the trajectory of trap.

The group had several multiplatinum selling singles, including “Bad and Boujee,” which went No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 chart, “Stir Fry,” and “Narcos.” Migos released four full-length albums across their career.

More than three years ago, Offset’s cousin Takeoff, another member of Migos, was shot and killed at a Houston bowling alley.

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Florida teenager charged with sexually assaulting and killing stepsister Anna Kepner on cruise ship

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Florida teenager charged with sexually assaulting and killing stepsister Anna Kepner on cruise ship


A 16-year-old boy has been charged with murder and aggravated sexual abuse in Florida in the 6 November death of his 18-year-old stepsister on a Carnival cruise ship, the US justice department said Monday.

Timothy Hudson was initially charged in February and subsequently indicted on 10 March. But the breadth of the case was not known until a seal was lifted Friday, weeks after US district judge Beth Bloom in Miami said he would be prosecuted as an adult at the request of the government.

Anna Kepner, Hudson’s stepsister, had been traveling on the Carnival Horizon ship with her family. Before the ship was scheduled to return to Florida, her body was found concealed under a bed in a room she was sharing with two other teens, including the younger stepbrother.

The cause of Kepner’s death was determined to be mechanical asphyxia, which is when an object or physical force stops someone from breathing.

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Email and voicemail messages seeking comment from Hudson’s attorneys about the charges were not immediately returned Monday. Hudson, whose name was disclosed through his signature on documents filed in federal court, has remained free in the care of an uncle since his arrest in February.

Kepner’s father, Christopher Kepner, released a statement, saying the family was placing “trust in the justice system to pursue the truth with care and integrity”.

“At the same time, we are deeply troubled that, despite the seriousness of the charges, he has not been taken into custody,” Kepner said. “The situation is deeply painful and complex for the entire family.”

In a written statement, US attorney Jason Reding Quiñones said, “Our hearts go out to the victim’s family during this unimaginable loss. A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging serious offenses that allegedly occurred aboard a vessel in international waters.”

Kepner was a high school cheerleader at Temple Christian school in Titusville, Florida, about 40 miles (65 kilometres) east of Orlando. At her memorial service in November, family members encouraged people to wear bright colors instead of the traditional black “in honor of Anna’s bright and beautiful soul”.

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Teens are rarely prosecuted in federal court. Hudson pleaded not guilty when he was initially charged in February, though the proceedings were not public because of his age – and neither were court documents. He was seen at the courthouse wearing a ball cap and a hoodie pulled tightly around his face.

A judge on 6 February said Hudson must wear an electronic tether while living with an uncle. The order was changed to allow him to join his father for a few days recently at a landscaping business, newly unsealed court records show.

Prosecutors objected to Hudson’s release, citing dangerousness, and asked a judge Monday to revisit that order now that he has been charged as an adult. Defense lawyers were given a week to respond.

“He committed these crimes against a victim with whom he had no apparent relational strife, and whom he was being raised to view as a sibling,” assistant US attorney Alejandra López said in a court filing.



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16-year-old from Florida charged with sexually assaulting, killing stepsister on Carnival Cruise ship

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16-year-old from Florida charged with sexually assaulting, killing stepsister on Carnival Cruise ship


MIAMI – A 16-year-old boy has been charged with murder and aggravated sexual abuse in Florida in the death of his 18-year-old stepsister on a Carnival Cruise ship, the U.S. Justice Department said Monday.

The teen, identified by the government as T.H., was initially charged as a juvenile on Feb. 2, but the case was sealed until U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom ordered that he would be prosecuted as an adult, the department said.

An email and voicemail seeking comment from T.H.’s lawyer about the indictment were not immediately returned.

Anna Kepner had been traveling on the Carnival Horizon ship in November with her family. Before the ship was scheduled to return to Florida, her body was found concealed under a bed in a room she was sharing with two other teens, including the younger stepbrother.

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The cause of Kepner’s Nov. 6 death was determined to be mechanical asphyxia, which is when an object or physical force stops someone from breathing.

Kepner was a high school cheerleader at Temple Christian School in Titusville, Florida, some 40 miles (65 kilometers) east of Orlando. At her memorial service in November, family members encouraged people to wear bright colors instead of the traditional black “in honor of Anna’s bright and beautiful soul.”

Teens prosecuted in federal court are extremely rare. T.H. was seen at the Miami courthouse on Feb. 6, wearing a ball cap and a hoodie pulled tightly around his face. But his status at that time was not fully known because his age barred public disclosures by his lawyer, the government or the court.

Experts believe the case is in federal court, and not a state court where teens are commonly prosecuted, because Kepner died in international waters.

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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