Data History & Resources
This page documents the evolution of OMMU weekly reports, leadership changes, and provides quick access to official regulatory resources. Understanding these changes helps interpret historical data correctly.
Official Resources
Rules & Regulations
Official OMMU rules governing MMTCs, patients, and physicians. Includes application requirements and compliance standards.
View RulesPublic Notices
Official announcements, rule changes, public hearings, and MMTC application opportunities.
View NoticesFlorida Administrative Code
Chapter 64-4, F.A.C. - Complete administrative rules for medical marijuana in Florida.
FL Rules PortalWeekly Updates Archive
Official OMMU weekly update archive from 2016 to present. Primary source for this dashboard.
View ArchiveOMMU Directors
Bobbie Smith
Current
January 2025 - Present
Prior to joining OMMU, Smith worked at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) for over 17 years,
focusing on legislative affairs.
Christopher Phillip Kimball
~2 years
November 2022 - January 2025
Former U.S. Navy JAG Corps officer (2008-2022) and AHCA policy adviser.
Appointed one day before being admitted to the Florida Bar.
Chris Ferguson
~3 years
December 2019 - November 2022
Longtime DOH employee who oversaw rapid program growth.
Later transitioned to statewide services administrator for county health systems.
Courtney Coppola
~1.5 years
August 2018 - December 2019
Joined OMMU at its inception in 2015, rose to Deputy Director.
Later became DOH Chief of Staff and led COVID-19 response efforts.
Christian Bax
~3 years
2015 - August 2018
First OMMU Director. Created the Medical Marijuana Use Registry and patient ID card program.
Tenure marked by numerous legal challenges over licensing processes. Resigned amid controversy.
Industry Consolidation & Acquisitions
Florida's medical cannabis market has undergone significant consolidation since 2019. Multi-state operators (MSOs) have acquired smaller regional players, and several companies have rebranded under new corporate identities. Understanding these changes is critical for analyzing historical market share data.
7
Major Transactions
$2.6B+
Total Deal Value
4
Brands Retired
3
Corporate Rebrands
Major Acquisitions
These acquisitions reshaped Florida's cannabis market, concentrating significant market share among MSOs.
Acquisition
October 2021
Harvest
Trulieve
$2.1 Billion
Trulieve acquired Harvest Health & Recreation in what became the largest cannabis M&A deal at the time.
Harvest's Florida dispensaries were converted to the Trulieve brand. This gave Trulieve dominant market
share with over 100 Florida locations.
Acquisition
November 2021
Liberty Health Sciences
Ayr Wellness
$290 Million
Ayr Wellness acquired Liberty Health Sciences, one of the original 5 license holders. Liberty's
locations transitioned to the Ayr brand starting in 2023. This deal gave Ayr access to Liberty's
prime Florida real estate and cultivation facilities.
Acquisition
June 2021
One Plant (Bluma)
Cresco Labs
$213 Million
Cresco Labs acquired Bluma Wellness (operator of One Plant) to establish Florida presence.
Locations now operate under the Sunnyside brand. Bluma had built a reputation for premium
flower quality before the acquisition.
Acquisition
July 2022
MedMen (FL)
Trulieve
Undisclosed
Trulieve acquired MedMen's Florida operations as MedMen struggled financially. MedMen had
been a high-profile brand known for premium retail experiences but faced mounting losses.
The Florida locations were absorbed into Trulieve's network.
Corporate Rebrands
These companies changed their consumer-facing brand while maintaining the same corporate structure and licenses.
Rebrand
September 2022
Columbia Care
Cannabist
Columbia Care rebranded all its retail locations to "The Cannabist Company" as part of a
nationwide brand refresh. The company sought to create a more consumer-friendly identity
while maintaining its multi-state operations.
Rebrand
April 2022
AltMed Florida
MÜV
AltMed Florida simplified its branding to just MÜV (the dispensary brand it had used since
2019). Parent company Verano Holdings streamlined operations under the more recognizable
MÜV name across Florida.
Rebrand
2018
Knox Medical
FLUENT
Knox Medical (originally Knox Nursery/Grandiflora, one of the original 5 license holders)
rebranded to FLUENT in 2018. The company, part of Cansortium Inc., wanted a brand that
better reflected its modern dispensary approach.
Consolidation Timeline
January 2018
Knox Medical becomes FLUENT
Original 2015 license holder rebrands. Knox Nursery had operated under Knox Medical since program launch.
June 2021
Cresco Labs acquires Bluma Wellness
$213M deal. One Plant brand transitions to Sunnyside. Cresco gains Florida market entry.
October 2021
Trulieve acquires Harvest Health
$2.1B mega-deal. Harvest Florida dispensaries converted to Trulieve. Creates dominant market leader.
November 2021
Ayr Wellness acquires Liberty Health Sciences
$290M deal. Original 5 license holder changes hands. Liberty brand phased out by 2023.
April 2022
AltMed Florida becomes MÜV
Verano Holdings simplifies branding to MÜV dispensary name used since 2019.
July 2022
Trulieve acquires MedMen Florida
MedMen's struggling Florida operations absorbed into Trulieve network.
September 2022
Columbia Care becomes Cannabist
National rebrand to "The Cannabist Company" across all markets including Florida.
License Origins
Florida MMTC licenses came from several sources. Understanding license origins helps explain market structure.
| License Type | Year | Count | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original 2015 | 2015 | 5 | Compassionate Use Act licenses awarded to established nurseries (30+ year requirement). Recipients: Trulieve, Curaleaf, Surterra, FLUENT (Knox), Ayr (Costa/Liberty). |
| Settlement 2017 | 2016-2019 | 17 | Licenses awarded through administrative challenge settlements. Companies like MÜV, VidaCann, GTI, Columbia Care, and GrowHealthy received licenses after contesting original awards. |
| Application 2017 | 2017-2018 | ~15 | Licenses from 2017 application round after Amendment 2 passage. Recipients include The Flowery, Jungle Boys, Cookies, Green Dragon, and others. |
| Pigford/BFL 2023 | 2023 | 4 | Black Farmers License (BFL) program recipients from Pigford settlement. Social equity licenses including Prosperity Medical and individual licensees. |
| 2024 Approvals | 2024 | 22 | New licenses from 2023 application round ($146K fee). Intent to approve letters issued November 2024. Most not yet operational. |
Data Continuity Note:
When an acquisition occurs, historical data may show sudden jumps or drops as brands merge. For example,
Trulieve's reported numbers increased significantly after absorbing Harvest locations. Our dashboard attempts
to track these transitions, but users should consider corporate changes when analyzing multi-year trends.
Report Format Changes
Data Added
Data Removed
Format Changed
Structure Changed
Acquisition
Rebrand
| Date | Change | Type | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 7, 2017 | First weekly statistics published | Added | Began tracking THC/CBD dispensed, patient/physician counts (aggregate totals only) |
| Nov 21, 2017 | Legal case updates begin appearing | Added | Active litigation tracking added to reports |
| Jan 25, 2019 | Legal case updates discontinued | Removed | Last PDF with case status updates; ~14 months of legal tracking |
| Mar 18, 2019 | SB 182 signed - smokable marijuana legalized | Legislation | Required system updates to track new route of administration |
| May 3, 2019 | Last report with city-level location data | Removed | Dispensary city lists no longer published; only total counts per MMTC |
| May 10, 2019 | Per-MMTC breakdown begins | Added | Major format change: individual MMTC statistics replace aggregate totals |
| July 19, 2019 | Smokable flower data appears | Added | Ounces of smokable marijuana dispensed now tracked |
| 2020+ | Format stabilizes | Stable | Consistent weekly format with per-MMTC THC, CBD, flower, and location counts |
Data Availability Timeline
November 8, 2016
Amendment 2 Passes
Florida voters approve medical marijuana with 71% support, amending the state constitution.
June 7, 2017
First Statistical Report
OMMU begins publishing weekly statistics. Reports include aggregate totals for THC/CBD dispensed and patient/physician counts statewide.
November 2017
Legal Case Tracking Begins
Reports start including status updates on active litigation (Florigrown, home grow cases, etc.).
August 2018
Director Change: Bax to Coppola
Christian Bax resigns; Courtney Coppola becomes interim, then permanent director.
January 25, 2019
Legal Updates End
Last report containing case status updates. 14 months of legal tracking available.
March 18, 2019
SB 182 Signed
Governor DeSantis signs smokable marijuana bill, ending the prohibition on flower.
May 10, 2019
Major Format Change
Reports switch from aggregate totals to per-MMTC breakdown. City lists removed from location data.
July 19, 2019
Smokable Data Added
Ounces of smokable marijuana dispensed now tracked in weekly reports.
December 2019
Director Change: Ferguson
Chris Ferguson becomes OMMU Director as program enters rapid growth phase.
November 2022
Director Change: Kimball
Christopher Phillip Kimball appointed as OMMU Director.
January 2025
Director Change: Smith
Bobbie Smith becomes current OMMU Director.
July 1, 2025
SB 2514 Signed (Chapter 2025-204)
Amends §381.986, F.S. to require OMMU to revoke Medical Marijuana Use Registry registrations
for patients and caregivers convicted of (or pleading guilty/nolo contendere to) Chapter 893 violations
involving trafficking, sale, manufacture, delivery, or possession with intent to sell/manufacture/deliver
controlled substances. Effective for convictions on or after July 1, 2025.
Data Impact: May cause decreases in patient/caregiver counts due to registry revocations.
Regulatory Changes Affecting Data
Legislative and regulatory changes can cause sudden shifts in patient counts, caregiver registrations, or other metrics. This section documents laws that may explain data anomalies.
| Effective Date | Law/Rule | Description | Expected Data Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 1, 2025 |
SB 2514 Chapter 2025-204, Laws of Florida |
Amends §381.986, F.S. to require OMMU to revoke Medical Marijuana Use Registry registrations
for patients and caregivers who are convicted of, or plead guilty or nolo contendere to
(regardless of adjudication), a violation of Chapter 893, F.S. on or after July 1, 2025,
if such violation is for:
|
Decrease Patient and caregiver counts may decline due to mandatory registry revocations |
Interpreting Data Changes:
When analyzing patient or caregiver trends, consider whether sudden drops coincide with the effective dates
of regulatory changes listed above. These changes represent real policy impacts, not data quality issues.
MMTC Licensing Analysis
Under §381.986(8)(a)4, Florida Statutes, the Department of Health must issue 4 additional MMTC licenses within 6 months after each 100,000 patient milestone is reached in the registry.
—
Current Patients
—
Licensed & Reporting
—
Expected by Formula
—
Licenses Behind
Patient Milestone Timeline
Each milestone triggers the requirement for 4 additional MMTC licenses within 6 months.
| Milestone | Date Reached | Licenses Owed | Cumulative Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial (2015 nurseries) | Nov 2015 | 5 (base) | 5 |
| Litigation settlements | 2016-2019 | +17 | 22 |
| 100,000 patients | Jul 13, 2018 | +4 | 26 |
| 200,000 patients | March 29, 2019 | +4 | 30 |
| 300,000 patients | January 10, 2020 | +4 | 34 |
| 400,000 patients | August 28, 2020 | +4 | 38 |
| 500,000 patients | March 5, 2021 | +4 | 42 |
| 600,000 patients | August 20, 2021 | +4 | 46 |
| 700,000 patients | April 1, 2022 | +4 | 50 |
| 800,000 patients | March 17, 2023 | +4 | 54 |
| 900,000 patients | Jan 31, 2025 | +4 | 58 |
Milestone dates are the first official OMMU weekly update reporting the active-cardholder count (“Qualified Patients (Active ID Card)”) at or above each threshold. Live figures are on the analysis page.
Licensing History
| Event | Date | Licenses | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial nursery licenses | Nov 2015 | 5 | One per region; 30-year nursery requirement |
| Litigation-required additions | 2016-2019 | +17 | Court-ordered licenses to rejected applicants |
| 2023 Application Round | April 2023 | 22 applied | $146,000 application fee; 74 applicants |
| 2024 Intent-to-Approve | Nov 26, 2024 | 22 selected | Letters of intent only — 0 licenses issued; tied up in administrative appeals (expected to resolve 2026) |
Note on Delays:
The statutory formula requires licenses to be issued within 6 months of each milestone.
However, litigation, administrative delays, and application processing have resulted in
significant gaps between when licenses are owed and when they are actually issued.
The 2023 application round (22 licenses) addressed milestones from 2020-2023.
Dashboard Data Coverage
| Data Type | Available From | Available Until | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patient Counts | June 2017 | Present | Continuous weekly data |
| Physician Counts | June 2017 | Present | Continuous weekly data |
| THC Dispensed (Aggregate) | June 2017 | May 2019 | Statewide totals only |
| THC Dispensed (Per-MMTC) | May 2019 | Present | Individual MMTC breakdown |
| CBD Dispensed | June 2017 | Present | Same pattern as THC |
| Smokable Flower | July 2019 | Present | Ounces per MMTC |
| Location Counts | June 2017 | Present | Per-MMTC from May 2019 |
| City Lists | 2017 | May 2019 | Last snapshot: May 3, 2019 |
| Legal Case Updates | Nov 2017 | Jan 2019 | ~14 months of case tracking |