Nevada vs. Florida for medical cannabis patients: where’s it better to live?

If you carry (or plan to carry) a medical cannabis card, both Nevada and Florida offer robust access—but the day-to-day experience looks very different. Nevada runs a mature adult-use market that also supports patients, while Florida is medical-only with one of the densest dispensary networks in the country. Here’s a practical, patient-centric comparison—with key rules, purchase limits, and who’s operating on the ground.

Access & rules at a glance

Nevada (adult-use + medical):

  • Adults 21+ may possess up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis and ¼ ounce of concentrates. Registered patients are included in that limit, and retailers must post the new (2024) limits. Patients do not pay the 10% retail excise tax.
  • Home grow is allowed in limited circumstances: generally only if you live 25+ miles from a licensed store, with up to 6 plants per adult (max 12/household) and security/visibility rules.
  • Medical reciprocity: Nevada dispensaries are widely known to honor out-of-state medical cards (alongside adult-use access for 21+).

Florida (medical-only):

  • Patients may buy up to 2.5 ounces of smokable flower per rolling 35 days (with an overall possession cap of 4 ounces of flower). For non-smokable forms, the 70-day cap equals 24,500 mg THC, with category-specific daily limits; doctors can request exceptions.
  • No adult-use (recreational) sales; a 2024 legalization ballot measure fell short of the 60% threshold.
  • No reciprocity: visitors’ cards are not honored; you need a Florida card (seasonal residents can qualify).
  • Home grow: not allowed as of 2025 (proposals were filed but not enacted).

Taxes & price dynamics:
Nevada imposes a 10% retail excise (waived for patient cardholders) plus a 15% wholesale excise built into the supply chain. Florida’s medical sales are generally exempt from sales tax and carry no cannabis excise, which can soften out-the-door pricing for patients. READ MORE: State of Nevada

Who’s operating there? (Selected examples patients actually see)

Nevada:

  • Planet 13 / Medizin (Las Vegas) – flagship superstore; the company also owns VidaCann in Florida (see below) after a 2024 acquisition, making Planet 13 a cross-state player.
  • Curaleaf – multiple Las Vegas locations (Curaleaf/REEF).
  • Verano (Zen Leaf) – stores in Las Vegas and Carson City.
  • Green Thumb Industries (RISE) – statewide footprint including Reno, Henderson, Carson City and Las Vegas.
  • The Source+ – multiple locations across the Valley and Pahrump.

Florida (MMTCs):

  • Trulieve – the dominant operator with 200+ U.S. stores, the largest network in Florida.
  • Verano (MÜV) – 80+ Florida dispensaries and growing.
  • Curaleaf – widespread Florida presence.
  • Surterra (Parallel) – extensive South & Central Florida coverage.
  • Fluent (Cansortium) – broad East/West corridor locations; many offer delivery.
  • AYR Wellness – vertically integrated operator active in both Florida and Nevada (undergoing a 2025 restructuring but continuing operations).

Vertically integrated across both states: Planet 13 (NV retail; owns VidaCann FL); Verano (Zen Leaf NV / MÜV FL); Curaleaf (stores in both NV & FL); AYR Wellness (NV & FL).

Quality-of-life for patients: how it feels

Dispensary density & convenience

  • Florida shines for proximity: in major metros there’s often a Trulieve, MÜV, Curaleaf, Surterra, and Fluent within a short drive—and most offer delivery, which is a big plus for mobility-limited patients.
  • Nevada offers adult-use access everywhere tourists go (Las Vegas, Reno, Tahoe corridor), and patients can shop those stores and skip the 10% excise at checkout.

Consumption spaces

  • Nevada has begun licensing cannabis lounges, but the rollout has been slow and uneven; only a couple have operated continuously so far.
  • Florida does not permit on-site consumption; medicating is limited to private property and specific product forms per your physician orders.

Home cultivation

  • Edge: Nevada (with the 25-mile rule). Florida patients can’t legally home-grow.

Pros & cons for a medical cardholder

Nevada — Pros

  • Adult-use backstop: If your card lapses, you still have legal access (21+). Patients also avoid the 10% retail excise at checkout.
  • Medical reciprocity & tourism-friendly: Out-of-state cards typically honored; useful for visiting friends/family who are patients.
  • Selective home grow: Legal when you’re 25+ miles from a shop; can improve affordability or strain choice.
  • Operator variety: Multiple national brands plus independents in Las Vegas/Reno corridors.

Nevada — Cons

  • No universal social use: Lounge options remain limited and have faced closures.
  • Urban-centric: Outside metro areas, access thins—if you’re far enough to home-grow, you’re also far from same-day retail.
  • Price volatility: Adult-use tourism and tax structure can keep some items pricier than medical-only states (though patients skip the 10% excise).

Florida — Pros

  • Dense medical network & delivery: It’s easy to find a nearby dispensary or get home delivery from brands like Trulieve, MÜV, Curaleaf, Surterra, Fluent.
  • Predictable dosing caps: The 35-day flower and 70-day THC limits help many patients plan therapy with their physician, with an exception process for special cases.
  • Tax treatment: No cannabis excise and medical sales are generally sales-tax-exempt, which can lower out-the-door costs.

Florida — Cons

  • Medical-only & no reciprocity: No adult-use; visitors’ cards aren’t honored. You must maintain FL residency/seasonal status and a valid FL card.
  • No home grow: All medicine must come from licensed MMTCs.
  • Formulary rules: Product types and purchase ceilings are regulated closely (helpful for some, restrictive for others).

Which state is the “better” place to live for a patient?

Choose Nevada if… you value flexibility: adult-use safety net, reciprocity for visiting patient friends/family, and the option to home-grow if you’re outside metro areas. If you like shopping a variety of multi-state brands in destination stores (Planet 13, Zen Leaf, RISE, Curaleaf), Nevada is patient-friendly—especially when you factor in the excise exemption at checkout.

Choose Florida if… you want wall-to-wall medical access and delivery, consistently medical-grade menus, and potentially lower cash-register totals thanks to no excise and general sales-tax exemptions. For routine therapeutic use where convenience and continuity matter—particularly in suburban corridors—Florida’s MMTC network (Trulieve, MÜV, Curaleaf, Surterra, Fluent) is hard to beat.

Bottom line:

  • Nevada offers more freedom (adult-use, reciprocity, selective home grow) and a vibrant retail scene, but lounge access is still nascent and prices can reflect a tourist market. READ MORE: SFGATE
  • Florida offers more convenience (dense medical network, delivery, patient-oriented pricing), but with tighter rules (no adult-use, no reciprocity, no home grow). READ MORE: knowthefactsmmj.com, Visit Florida Dispensaries

If you’re a medical patient comparing living in Las Vegas/Henderson versus Miami/Tampa/Orlando, you’re effectively weighing flexibility vs. structure. Nevada maximizes personal options; Florida maximizes medical infrastructure. Pick the model that best matches your therapy routine, budget, and how (and where) you prefer to medicate.