704 of 899: Florida accounts for most dispensary entries cleared from DEA's medical marijuana applicant list after the first federal registrations

Florida appears to account for most of the first round of federal medical marijuana dispensary registrations, based on how the Drug Enforcement Administration's public list of waiting applicants changed after the Justice Department announced the registrations on Oct. 30.

The Marijuana Herald reported on Nov. 1 that Florida's pending dispensary applications on the DEA list fell from 748 on Oct. 30 to 44 in the Nov. 1 update, a drop of 704. That is about 78% of the 899 dispensary entries that came off the list nationwide over those two days. Hemp Law Watch's own count of the DEA files matches those figures. The list does not say why an entry was removed, so the numbers point to where the registrations most likely went without confirming it business by business.

What the DEA list shows

DEA publishes the list as a text file on its Diversion Control Division website. Each line shows only a state, a type of business (medical marijuana dispensary, manufacturer or distributor) and a control number, not a company name. DEA says on its medical marijuana page that the list "may change as Timely Applicants are granted DEA registrations, withdraw their applications for DEA registration, or are no longer considered Timely Applicants for any other reason," and that the file "will be updated daily."

When DEA first posted the file, dated Oct. 30, Hemp Law Watch counted 6,983 entries: 4,197 dispensaries, 2,076 manufacturers and 710 distributors. The file dated Nov. 1 has 6,083 entries: 3,298 dispensaries, 2,075 manufacturers and 710 distributors. That is 900 fewer entries in all, including 899 fewer dispensaries. The Herald reported that the only other change was one manufacturer application in Colorado.

Where the drops happened

The Justice Department said on Oct. 30 that DEA had issued registrations to more than 900 medical marijuana dispensaries in Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. The department did not say how many went to each state.

Every dispensary entry that left the list came from those seven states, according to the Herald, and Hemp Law Watch's count agrees. In the Oct. 30 file, those states had 965 dispensary entries. In the Nov. 1 file, they have 66.

Per the Herald, the state-by-state changes were:

• Florida: 748 to 44, down 704
• Mississippi: 97 to 20, down 77
• West Virginia: 48 to 0
• South Dakota: 43 to 1
• Virginia: 24 to 0
• Texas: 4 to 1
• Alabama: 1 to 0

Florida now has 108 entries left on the list, down from 812 on Oct. 30: 44 dispensaries, 45 manufacturers and 19 distributors.

Why the numbers are not an exact count

The Herald was careful to say the timing and the geography "strongly suggest" the removals are tied to the first registrations, but that the records "do not conclusively establish" that all 704 Florida entries that came off the list received federal registration. An applicant can also drop off the list by withdrawing or by no longer qualifying as a timely applicant, according to DEA.

The two totals also do not line up exactly. The Justice Department said "more than 900" dispensaries were registered, while 899 dispensary entries came off the list. The Herald wrote that the two figures "should not be treated as identical measures." Neither DEA nor the Justice Department has published a list of the businesses that were registered.

Florida's medical marijuana market

Florida is one of the largest medical marijuana markets in the country. The Florida Department of Health's Office of Medical Marijuana Use reported 943,844 qualified patients with active ID cards in its Oct. 30 weekly update.

The state's system is built around medical marijuana treatment centers, or MMTCs. According to the department, MMTCs "are vertically integrated businesses, and are the only businesses authorized to cultivate, process, and dispense low-THC cannabis and medical marijuana." Each treatment center can run many dispensing locations. The department's Oct. 30 update lists dispensing locations for each treatment center, led by Trulieve with 170, MÜV with 86 and Curaleaf Florida with 80; the locations in that table add up to 786, by Hemp Law Watch's count. The department approved two more dispensing locations during the week of Oct. 23 to 29, in Mulberry and DeLand.

Hemp Law Watch has not confirmed which Florida businesses or locations hold the new federal registrations.

What the registrations mean

The registrations stem from Attorney General Todd Blanche's April order, which placed qualifying state-licensed medical marijuana activities under Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act. The Justice Department called the first registrations "the first phase" of carrying out that order.

According to the department, each dispensary in the first group had to meet federal requirements, including completing DEA's pre-registration investigation. "State licensure alone does not automatically grant federal registration," the department said in its release. Registered dispensaries must follow federal rules on "security, recordkeeping, inventory controls, and other safeguards governing the handling of controlled substances."

"The American people deserve access to the best medical treatments in the world," Blanche said in the Oct. 30 release. He added that the Justice Department "will continue prosecuting illegal marijuana trafficking and related criminal activity in accordance with federal law."

The order covers medical marijuana only. "Marijuana not covered by the order remains subject to Schedule I controls," the department said.

Who is still waiting

The applicants still on the list are businesses that applied within the first 60 days after DEA's April 28 final rule, between April 28 and June 26, 2026, according to DEA guidance issued Oct. 30. While their applications are pending, those timely applicants may keep operating under their state medical marijuana licenses, the guidance says.

Oklahoma now has the most entries left, with 2,442, or about 40% of the national total, the Herald reported. California has 771, Maine 320 and Pennsylvania 227, figures that also match Hemp Law Watch's count.

Illinois and Michigan were not among the first seven states. Their entries did not change between the two files: Illinois still has 82 (59 dispensaries, 6 distributors and 17 manufacturers) and Michigan has 56 (25 dispensaries, 6 distributors and 25 manufacturers), by Hemp Law Watch's count.

What happens next

The Justice Department said DEA will keep issuing dispensary registrations "through a phased registration process" and is still reviewing manufacturer and distributor applications, which need more review, including facility inspections, production controls and quota determinations.

DEA's guidance also sets Nov. 29, 2026, as the date by which timely applicants are expected to have compliant supply chains in place, meaning they deal only with DEA registrants or other timely applicants.

Because DEA updates the applicant list daily, later versions may show where the next registrations go. The broader proposal to reschedule marijuana is being considered in a separate administrative proceeding, the Justice Department said.

This report is for information only and is not legal advice.