DEA Registrations Cover All 41 Vireo Growth Dispensaries in Florida

Vireo Growth announced on November 2, 2026 that it had received U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration registrations for all 41 of its state-licensed medical cannabis dispensaries in Florida.

Vireo described the registrations as among the initial federal registrations issued to qualifying state-licensed medical marijuana dispensaries under the Schedule III framework established by the DEA’s final rule. It characterized the issuance as an important regulatory milestone for its Florida operations and the broader medical cannabis industry.

“Florida is one of our key markets, and we are pleased to have received these registrations,” Chief Executive Officer John Mazarakis said. “We appreciate the DEA’s efforts in advancing this process and welcome continued progress toward a federal regulatory framework that recognizes responsible, state-licensed cannabis operators and supports a more stable and sustainable industry.”

Registration Pathway and State-License Limits

The DEA final rule establishing the framework was published and took effect on April 28, 2026. It placed FDA-approved drug products containing marijuana and marijuana subject to a state medical marijuana license in Schedule III. The rule also created an expedited registration process for state-licensed medical marijuana manufacturers, distributors and dispensers.

Under that process, a state license is conclusive evidence that the applicant is authorized under state law to engage in the activity for which registration is sought. The Administrator must register an applicant unless issuance would be inconsistent with the public-interest factors in 21 U.S.C. 823 or with the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, including any quota requirement.

A registered dispenser may dispense marijuana and marijuana products only to individuals authorized by state law to possess them for medical purposes, subject to the limitations of its state license. The registrations do not authorize manufacturing, distribution, dispensing or use for nonmedical purposes.

A federal registration cannot exceed the scope of the underlying state medical marijuana license. It is automatically suspended if that state license is suspended, revoked or expires.

Operating Conditions and Federal Exclusions

For state-licensed registrants, DEA must accept state-required reports, records and forms to the maximum extent permissible. The Administrator may require only the reports, records and order forms deemed necessary to comply with federal statutory and treaty obligations.

A state-authorized medical certification or similar document, including an electronic document, is sufficient for dispensing if it is dated and signed on the day issued, bears the user’s full name and address, and includes the name, address and state license number of the practitioner authorized to sign it under state law.

Registrants may follow state requirements for labeling, packaging, sealing, disposal and physical security instead of otherwise applicable federal requirements. The labeling exemption remains subject to the federal warning-label requirement in 21 U.S.C. 825(c), where applicable.

The rule leaves marijuana outside an FDA-approved product or state medical marijuana license in Schedule I. Synthetically derived THC also remains in Schedule I, while the rule does not change hemp’s status. Covered marijuana, marijuana extracts and naturally derived delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol remain subject to import and export permit requirements.

The Acting Attorney General stated that state medical marijuana licensees will no longer be subject to the Section 280E deduction disallowance, which applies to businesses engaged in trafficking controlled substances in Schedule I or II. The rule expressly makes no determination regarding federal tax liability.

The Florida registrations leave the dispensaries’ federal authority dependent on state medical marijuana licensing rather than extending it to nonmedical activity.