Fort Lauderdale’s tourism engine is humming—cruise arrivals surged in 2024 and visitor taxes hit near-record highs—but Florida’s cannabis rules are steering how much of that momentum converts into “canna-travel” dollars. The state remains medical-only after voters narrowly supported, but did not pass, the 60% threshold for adult-use legalization in November 2024. That outcome left Broward County competing with fully legal markets for cannabis-motivated tourists, even as overall tourism indicators trend positive.
On the travel side, Greater Fort Lauderdale reported $125.4 million in Tourist Development Tax (TDT) revenue in 2024—the second-highest total on record—alongside a 1.5% rise in hotel demand and a 39% jump in Port Everglades cruise volume, underscoring a strong visitor base that could amplify ancillary spending if adult-use were available. The TDT rate in Broward is 6%, and county documents confirm collections over $125 million in FY2024.
In the absence of adult-use, Fort Lauderdale’s cannabis economy relies on Florida’s expansive medical program. State health data show the registry has continued to grow in 2025—topping roughly 930,000 active patients in October—sustaining local dispensary traffic but limiting purchases to qualified residents and seasonal residents who meet state criteria. The Office of Medical Marijuana Use (OMMU) maintains the registry and weekly statistics; recent updates confirm continued participation despite a broader deceleration in growth.
Learn More: How to Obtain a Medical Marijuana Card: What Patients Need to Know
Local rules also shape how visible the industry is to visitors. Fort Lauderdale zoning permits medical cannabis dispensing facilities in B-1, B-2, and B-3 districts with required buffers from schools, parks, and other dispensaries—policies that distribute storefronts but keep them out of the densest tourist corridors. The practical effect: medical access points exist, but they are not configured as destination attractions in the way adult-use boutiques are in fully legal states.
Economic comparisons suggest what legalization could mean. Illinois, a mature adult-use market, eclipsed $2 billion in 2024 sales, with more than $385 million from out-of-state buyers—evidence that permissive regimes capture significant traveler spend that might otherwise flow to dining, entertainment, or even other states. National market analyses of cannabis tourism project double-digit annual growth this decade, reinforcing the size of the opportunity when policy and visitor demand align.
For now, the tourism-economy link in Fort Lauderdale is indirect. Cannabis appears in visitor behavior mainly through medical purchases, wellness programming, and private consumption compliant with state law and local rules. Destination strategists caution that to quantify cannabis’ role, cities must track KPIs like visitor party spend, experience bookings, and event attendance tied to cannabis-adjacent offerings; those frameworks are available, even if Florida’s policy currently constrains the category.
Policy debates in Tallahassee also matter. Proposals to redirect a larger share of local tourism tax revenues away from marketing could affect how aggressively destinations court niche segments—including wellness and cannabis-curious travelers—if budgets tighten. For a market competing with fully legal destinations, sustained promotion is a hedge against policy headwinds.
Bottom line: Fort Lauderdale’s visitor economy is resilient, but Florida’s medical-only status means the city participates in cannabis travel largely by proxy. Should adult-use legalization return to the ballot and pass, the immediate beneficiaries would likely include hotels, restaurants, attractions, and transportation—mirroring gains seen in peer markets—while current regulations keep the upside capped for now.
Read More: Fort Lauderdale’s Best Dispensaries and What Sets Them Apart