Florida Medical Cannabis: April Federal Rescheduling Now in Effect, Program Reaches 929,360 Patients
Florida’s medical cannabis market is navigating one of its most consequential stretches. The April 2026 federal order placing state-licensed medical marijuana in Schedule III is now in effect, the patient base has climbed to 929,360, OMMU’s new testing and authorization rules went live in May and June, and Trulieve authorized a $50 million share repurchase. The DEA’s broader rescheduling hearing begins June 29.
Top Headlines This Month
- ⚖️ April DOJ order moves state-licensed medical marijuana to Schedule III; June 29 DEA hearing begins
- 📊 Florida hits 929,360 active patients across 766 dispensaries
- 📋 OMMU testing lab and MMTC rules take effect
- 🏛️ June 24 hearing covers MMTC extraction and advertising
- 💰 Trulieve authorizes $50M share repurchase through June 2027
⚖️ FEDERAL: DOJ AND DEA PLACE STATE-LICENSED MEDICAL MARIJUANA IN SCHEDULE III
On April 23, 2026, the DOJ and DEA announced an order placing both FDA-approved products containing marijuana and state-licensed medical marijuana products in Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act, effective immediately. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche made the move using his authority under the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, citing the Trump administration’s December 18, 2025 Executive Order on Increasing Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research. The action recognizes state medical marijuana licensing as a basis for federal scheduling treatment. At the same time, the DEA withdrew the prior notice of hearing published August 29, 2024 and terminated those proceedings, replacing them with a new administrative hearing beginning June 29, 2026 to consider the broader rescheduling of marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III. DEA Administrator Terry Cole said the agency is moving expeditiously to complete the administrative hearing process, bringing consistency and oversight to an area that has lacked both. The DOJ announcement noted the action includes firm deadlines to accelerate the process toward full redesignation.
The immediate Schedule III placement covers every product regulated under a qualifying state medical marijuana license, which means state-licensed medical marijuana operators are directly affected. The June 29 hearing opens a formal, deadline-driven process for full rescheduling.
This move has significant implications for all aspects of the Florida cannabis market, particularly around compliance and future dispensary operations.
📊 FLORIDA: MEDICAL CANNABIS PROGRAM REACHES 929,360 ACTIVE PATIENTS AND 766 DISPENSING LOCATIONS
Florida’s Office of Medical Marijuana Use reported 929,360 qualified patients holding active medical marijuana ID cards as of May 29, 2026, under Florida Statute 381.986. During the week of May 22 to 28, 2026, 25 of the state’s 28 licensed MMTCs operated 766 dispensing locations statewide. The five largest by location count held 438 of those locations combined, a 57% share of the statewide total. Trulieve led with 169 locations (22.1% share), followed by MÜV at 85 (11.1%), Curaleaf Florida at 73 (9.5%), Ayr Cannabis Dispensary at 66 (8.6%), and Surterra Wellness at 45 (5.9%). During that same reporting week, MMTCs dispensed 438,073,511 milligrams of active THC and 150,632.868 ounces of smokable marijuana across the patient base, working out to roughly 471 milligrams of active THC per active patient for the week.
The top five concentration, more than half of all dispensing locations in the hands of five licensees, reflects how tightly the MMTC model has consolidated. The active patient base of approximately 929,000 represents a significant share of Florida’s resident population.
Source:
https://mymiracleleaf.com/blog/florida-medical-cannabis-by-the-numbers-2026/
📋 FLORIDA: OMMU CMTL AND MMTC RULES TAKE EFFECT MAY AND JUNE 2026
Florida’s Office of Medical Marijuana Use published a cluster of new rules under Florida Administrative Code chapter 64-4 that became effective in May and June 2026. Eleven rules governing Certified Marijuana Testing Laboratories, covering definitions, certification and renewal requirements, on-site inspection, standard operating procedures, sample testing, calibration standards, certificate of analysis, manual integration, waste management, and background screening, all took effect May 28, 2026. The CMTL Fines, Suspension, and Revocation rule (64-4.315) followed on June 2, 2026. The MMTC Authorization Procedures rule (64-4.216) and the Medical Marijuana Use Registry Caregiver Background Screening and Request for Close Relative Status rule (64-4.223) both became effective May 21, 2026.
These rules are now in force and set binding compliance standards for testing laboratory certification and MMTC authorization procedures across Florida’s medical cannabis program. The CMTL rules in particular establish a comprehensive regulatory framework for laboratories that had previously operated under emergency rules, moving the testing oversight structure onto a permanent footing.
Operators and applicants should closely track OMMU regulatory changes in the Florida dispensary licensing landscape as the framework stabilizes.
Source:
https://knowthefactsmmj.com/rules-and-regulations/
🏛️ FLORIDA: OMMU JUNE 24 HEARING AND WORKSHOP COVER MMTC EXTRACTION AND ADVERTISING RULES
Florida’s Department of Health has two public sessions on MMTC rules scheduled for June 24, 2026 at the Betty Easley Conference Center in Tallahassee. A formal hearing on MMTC Solvent-Based Extraction (64-4.209) runs from 9 to 11 a.m., and a workshop on MMTC Advertising and Marketing (64-4.227) follows from 1 to 5 p.m. at the same location. Earlier this month, on June 3, the Department held a full-day hearing at the Betty Easley Conference Center covering eight proposed rules: Standards for Production of Edibles (64-4.205), Renewal Application Requirements for MMTCs (64-4.215), MMTC Financial Assurance (64-4.217), MMTC Trade Name and Logo (64-4.218), MMTC Packaging and Labeling (64-4.219), MMTC Seed-to-Sale Tracking System Integration (64-4.221), MMTC STS Tracking System Procedures (64-4.222), and Dosing and Supply Limits for Medical Marijuana (64-4.224).
The June 24 advertising and marketing workshop addresses a rule that has not yet been finalized, making public comment at that session relevant to the rule’s eventual shape. The solvent-based extraction hearing the same morning covers production methods used across multiple MMTC product lines, and the outcome will affect operational compliance requirements for manufacturers inside the vertically integrated MMTC model.
Source:
https://knowthefactsmmj.com/public-meetings/
💰 NATIONAL: TRULIEVE AUTHORIZES $50M SHARE REPURCHASE PROGRAM THROUGH JUNE 2027
Trulieve Cannabis Corp. announced on June 9, 2026 that its Board of Directors authorized a share repurchase program allowing the company to buy back up to the lesser of $50 million in aggregate value or 8,495,038 subordinate voting shares, representing 5% of the company’s issued and outstanding subordinate voting shares as of June 8, 2026. The program runs for 12 months and expires June 16, 2027. Any shares purchased under the program will be cancelled. Trulieve Founder and CEO Kim Rivers said the program reflects confidence in the long-term value of the business and a disciplined approach to capital allocation, framing repurchases as a tool to deliver shareholder value when market conditions present a compelling opportunity. The company noted the program does not obligate it to acquire any specific number of shares and may be suspended, modified, or discontinued at its discretion.
Trulieve is described in its announcement as a leading and top-performing medical cannabis company in the U.S. A $50 million buyback authorization from a leading cannabis operator is a capital allocation signal worth watching, particularly as the broader financial environment for cannabis companies shifts. For comparison of capital market moves in other national markets, see the rapid retail expansion in the New York cannabis market and West Coast activity in California dispensary licensing.
Source:
https://investors.trulieve.com/2026-06-09-Trulieve-Announces-Share-Repurchase-Program
The Bottom Line
April’s federal rescheduling of state-licensed medical marijuana to Schedule III marked a turning point for Florida’s program, with the June 29 DEA hearing now set to determine the broader fate of marijuana under federal law. The patient count sits near 929,360 across 766 dispensing locations, a wave of OMMU rules has moved testing and MMTC oversight onto permanent footing, and Trulieve’s $50 million buyback authorization adds a capital allocation signal on top of the regulatory shift.
📬 Get Monthly Market Updates
Stay ahead of the curve with our monthly cannabis retail market newsletter. New markets, regulatory changes, and expansion opportunities delivered to your inbox.
