WASHINGTON, Oct. 30, 2026 — The Drug Enforcement Administration is moving forward with "the initial issuance of hundreds of federal registrations to qualifying state-licensed medical marijuana dispensaries," the Justice Department announced Friday.
The first registrations include more than 900 dispensaries in Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia, the department says. They're the first phase of the Attorney General's April 23 order under 21 U.S.C. 811(d).
"The American people deserve access to the best medical treatments in the world," Attorney General Todd Blanche said in the release. "The Department of Justice will continue prosecuting illegal marijuana trafficking and related criminal activity in accordance with federal law."
What the department says it means:
- Not automatic. "State licensure alone does not automatically grant federal registration." Each dispensary had to pass DEA's pre-registration investigation.
- Federal rules apply. Registered dispensaries face federal security, recordkeeping and inventory requirements.
- More to come. DEA is still processing dispensary applications in phases and reviewing applications from manufacturers and distributors, which need facility inspections, production controls and quota decisions.
The release doesn't list which Florida dispensaries were registered.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice press release, Oct. 30, 2026.
← More National stories · All Launchpad stories · Spotted an error? Request a correction.