The Future of Cannabis Research and Patient Care in Florida
Florida’s medical cannabis system is no longer just a dispensary network—it is becoming a living research environment that can reshape patient care over the next few years. With one of the nation’s largest medical programs, Florida offers researchers large, diverse patient populations and real-world data that can answer practical questions clinicians hear every day: What dose works? Which route is safest? What are the risks for older adults or people taking multiple medications?
A key engine is the Consortium for Medical Marijuana Clinical Outcomes Research, created in state law and led by the University of Florida. The statute calls for rigorous scientific work and specifies that research should include studying the effects of smoking marijuana for debilitating conditions. It also directs collaboration and potential funding for teaching nursing homes, signaling a future focus on chronic disease and aging.
That “real-world evidence” approach is expanding through projects and competitive grants run by the Consortium and its member universities. UF’s MEMORY initiative describes using outcomes research to generate timely evidence on risks and benefits, while conferences like the Cannabis Clinical Outcomes Research Conference (CCORC) spotlight safety, drug–drug interactions, and the translation of findings for clinicians and health systems.
Why Florida? Scale is part of the answer. Peer-reviewed conference proceedings report that Florida’s registry had more than 880,000 registrants as of summer 2024, making it one of the largest state medical cannabis programs in the U.S. That volume can support stronger subgroup analyses (for example, seniors vs. younger adults or different qualifying conditions) and can help detect uncommon side effects that smaller programs might miss.
Patient care is also being shaped by tighter clinical oversight. Florida requires qualified physicians to follow state rules and use the Medical Marijuana Use Registry (MMUR) to document certifications and ongoing care. A state physician certification pattern review report highlights documenting adverse events and changes in other controlled-substance use when certifications close—signals that can improve monitoring, follow-up, and patient counseling over time.
Product quality and consistency will be another frontier for outcomes. Florida relies on laboratory testing for medical products, and lawmakers continue to adjust how testing is handled across the broader cannabinoid marketplace. A 2025 Florida Senate analysis described policy changes that would route hemp and hemp-extract testing through certified medical-marijuana testing laboratories, a shift that could tighten standards and reduce confusion between regulated medical products and CBD items sold outside the medical system.
The biggest near-term catalyst could come from Washington. On December 18, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the federal government to accelerate moving marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III, explicitly highlighting medical research. If federal rulemaking follows, Schedule III status could reduce administrative barriers to clinical studies and potentially expand the types of trials Florida institutions can run, fund, and publish.
Still, “more research” won’t automatically mean “better care.” Florida’s future will depend on translating findings into practice: condition-specific dosing guidance, impairment and driving counseling, geriatric-focused protocols, and decision aids that help patients compare inhalation, oral, and topical routes. The direction is promising: Florida has the infrastructure, legal mandate, and patient scale to move from anecdote-driven cannabis use toward evidence-guided care, with better clinician training and clearer expectations for safety monitoring and follow-up across clinics statewide. Patients should expect individualized care and regular reassessment.
Learn more: CBD and Your System: Understanding How Long It Really Lasts