Sarasota Magazine
513 Central Ave
Sarasota FL 34236
By Kim Doleatto Published in the February 2026 issue of Sarasota Magazine
Image: Shutterstock
Florida’s medical marijuana program has expanded rapidly since voters approved Amendment 2 in 2016 with 71.3 percent support, and it’s since become one of the nation’s largest medical-only cannabis markets. Florida doesn’t publish full demographic data on its patient registry, but smaller surveys and studies reveal that the majority of patients are middle-aged or older, and that women make up a slight majority (roughly 59 percent) of respondents in those samples. After Florida’s Amendment 3 failed to legalize adult-use recreational marijuana in 2024, a new initiative backed by Smart & Safe Florida to legalize this specific use is now aimed at the 2026 ballot.
Florida’s active medical marijuana qualified-patient count makes it one of the largest medical cannabis patient populations in the country. In 2025, this accounted for 4 percent of the state’s population.
Approximate number of Sarasota County residents with medical marijuana cards in 2025.
Estimated number of registered U.S. medical cannabis patients as of 2023. Florida’s numbers account for about one quarter of all U.S. medical marijuana patients.
Estimate of the number of dispensary storefronts across Sarasota and Manatee counties as of late 2025. There are 733 dispensaries statewide.
The rank of the smokable flower when it comes to cannabis product preferences, followed by edibles and vape oils.
Approximate milligrams—equivalent to 536 pounds—of medical marijuana dispensed statewide by licensed Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers (MMTCs) during one week in 2022.
Approximate number of milligrams—equivalent to 24 pounds to 31 pounds—of medical marijuana sold in Sarasota County in an average week in 2022.
The amount of state and local sales tax collected from medical marijuana (because it is considered a prescription medication)
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