Want to Get Into Florida’s Cannabis Industry? Sally Kent Peebles Explains What It Takes on The Rotation

Florida just awarded 22 new medical marijuana business licenses. Does that mean anyone with a good idea and a passion for cannabis can open a dispensary? On the latest episode of Suncoast NORML’s The Rotation, cannabis attorney Sally Kent Peebles gave a candid answer: the opportunity is real, but the cost and complexity of entering Florida’s market remain enormous.

Peebles, a Jacksonville-based partner at Vicente LLP, joined Gary Stein, Christopher Cano, and Carlos Hermida to discuss the new licenses, the barriers facing independent operators, patient home grow, and why education matters as much as regulation.

Florida’s 22 new medical marijuana licenses: What happens next?

Florida’s Department of Health issued a final order on September 11, 2026, granting 22 medical marijuana treatment center (MMTC) licenses from its 2023 application round. But an award is only the beginning. New licensees still face bonding, financing, property, and operational deadlines before patients see new dispensaries. Peebles’ licensing update explains the order and the steps ahead.

On the show, Peebles described applicants that had already carried property costs for years while the licensing process unfolded. She also discussed the legal challenges that followed the scoring of applications and the uncertainty over whether additional licenses may eventually be issued. Those possibilities remain unresolved; the episode should not be read as an announcement of another application round.

Florida’s law ties future MMTC licenses to growth in the number of registered patients. Its business model is also vertically integrated: an MMTC must handle cultivation, processing, and dispensing under the same license. That structure can require substantial capital before a new operator makes its first sale. Florida law and the Office of Medical Marijuana Use explain the framework.

Can a small business enter Florida’s cannabis market?

Peebles said a capable team can pursue a license, but the state’s capital requirements make it difficult to start with one modest grow and one dispensary, then expand with revenue. During the interview, she singled out the roughly $1.3 million biennial MMTC renewal fee as a major obstacle for smaller operators.

That is a policy choice with consequences. When only well-financed groups can survive the application process and ongoing costs, Florida narrows who gets to build businesses in its medical cannabis market. Patients may ultimately feel the effect through fewer independent operators and less room for different approaches to products and service.

Carlos brought the small-business perspective to the conversation, describing the pressure hemp retailers have faced and why a medical marijuana license remains beyond the reach of many local entrepreneurs. The question for lawmakers is whether Florida wants a market that aspiring local owners can realistically enter.

Would allowing patients to grow cannabis at home hurt dispensaries?

When asked whether Florida should permit medical cannabis patients to grow at home, Peebles answered, “Absolutely.” Drawing on her experience in other states, she argued that home cultivation does not have to displace dispensary sales. Some patients may want to grow; others will continue buying from stores for convenience, variety, or consistency.

Carlos added that home grow could create demand for genetics, supplies, and education. That is the hosts’ and guest’s argument for reform, rather than a claim that Florida patients can legally grow cannabis today. Under Florida’s current medical program, registered patients obtain medical marijuana through licensed MMTCs; home cultivation is not authorized.

Medical rescheduling is not adult-use legalization

The conversation also touched on federal rescheduling and the tax burden cannabis businesses face under Section 280E. Here the distinction matters: the Justice Department’s April 2026 action placed certain FDA-approved and qualifying state-licensed medical marijuana products in Schedule III while opening a separate process to consider broader rescheduling. It did not federally legalize adult-use cannabis.

Peebles suggested that federal tax changes could ease some pressure on qualifying medical operators. They do not erase Florida’s license fees, startup costs, or vertical integration requirements. Business owners should seek current legal and tax advice before assuming a particular federal rule applies to them.

The bigger question: Who gets to participate?

Peebles proposed a different approach for a future adult-use market: use practical production rules to manage supply instead of relying so heavily on a small number of licenses. She also urged the cannabis community to stay engaged and avoid letting disagreements over the details derail the broader push for reform.

That was the thread running through the episode. Florida can protect patients and set meaningful standards while asking whether its rules give independent businesses a fair chance. As Gary put it during the conversation, education and regulation have to work together.

Watch The Rotation for the full discussion with Sally Kent Peebles, including her account of the licensing process and the hosts’ debate about home grow. Then join Suncoast NORML to help advocate for patient rights, fair access, and sensible cannabis policy in Florida. The Rotation airs Sundays at 11 a.m. Eastern.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-QXRDo1zNk&t=2s

Quick questions

Can anyone open a medical marijuana dispensary in Florida? No. Only a licensed MMTC may dispense medical marijuana to qualified patients, and applicants must meet the state’s licensing and operational requirements.

Did Florida issue new medical marijuana licenses in 2026? Yes. The state granted 22 licenses in a September 11 final order following its 2023 application process.

Can Florida medical cannabis patients grow at home? No. Home cultivation is a reform advocated by the guests and hosts, not a right under the current program.

Does federal medical cannabis rescheduling legalize recreational marijuana? No. The limited federal action concerning qualifying medical products is separate from adult-use legalization and the broader rescheduling process.