Florida’s medical marijuana registry continues to grow, adding roughly 14,000 patients in early 2025. That trend could continue as lawmakers target a key competitor for the industry, proposing tough new hemp rules that could reshape the state’s cannabis scene.

Patient numbers rose steadily from 895,000 in January to 909,000 by April, according to the Florida Office of Medical Marijuana Use. Meanwhile, Florida senators unanimously backed legislation to restrict hemp-derived THC products, resembling a bill Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed last year after hemp industry pressure, with some caveats.

“We have retailers in the state of Florida that are selling products that are intoxicating,” the Florida Phoenix reported Republican Sen. Colleen Burton, the bill’s sponsor, as saying. “They are selling products that are putting adults and children in the hospital. And, sadly, they are selling products that are causing the deaths of Floridians.”

Senate Bill 438 would ban Delta-8 products outright and limit Delta-9 hemp items to 5 milligrams per serving, according to the legislative text. THC-infused beverages would face the same cap and would only be allowed to be sold by businesses with liquor licenses, similar to legislation creeping its way through statehouses across the country.

Recent testing of products from smoke shops across Florida found concerning potency issues: 50 of 53 hemp flower samples exceeded the federal 0.3% THC limit, making them essentially unregulated marijuana products, according to testimony during legislative hearings.

“These are very intoxicating products,” Republican Sen. Gayle Harrell, who represent southeast Florida, said. “They’re addicting products at the end of the day. And people need to know that. … We need to make sure that people know what they’re buying. And we have seen so many fly-by-night places selling hemp – ‘safe hemp’ – and the THC levels are higher than the medical marijuana that you can get in a dispensary.”

In some ways, hemp products have become a legitimate competitive threat for established cannabis companies. According to Viridian Capital Advisors, “It’s not exactly a closely held secret that hemp intoxicants, along with illicit THC vendors, have hit the THC industry right where it hurts.”

Viridian’s report noted that analysts project “flat revenues for the top 12 MSOs for 2025″ while the hemp industry continues to grow due to price and convenience advantages. Consumers often “don’t care about seed-to-sale tracking and a (certificate of analysis) on every bottle. They will gladly trade that for the ability to purchase at their gas station or, better yet, online through the mail, especially if it costs less,” the Viridian report stated.

That shift has pushed even major players like Curaleaf to hedge their bets. The international cannabis giant will open a hemp dispensary in Florida that will offer both its own Select brand and third-party hemp-derived THC beverages and edibles.

“The move makes complete sense, going along with Curaleaf’s 2024 launch of the Hemp Company,” the Viridian analysis noted.

But the political animosity around hemp regulation in the state remain complex. After DeSantis vetoed similar restrictions last year, a slew of hemp business owners donated to DeSantis’ efforts to defeat Amendment 3, which would have legalized recreational cannabis for adults aged 21 and above.

Jacksonville Democratic Sen. Tracie Davis, who co-sponsored the bill, acknowledged during floor debate that the legislation wasn’t much different from last year’s vetoed version.

If passed by the House and signed into law, the Department of Agriculture would handle enforcement with $2 million allocated to law enforcement for testing equipment.

The bill also poses deeper questions about cannabis regulation frameworks. As Viridian framed it: “If cannabis is medicine, then perhaps it really should be heavily regulated by the FDA and heavily tested as well. But if cannabis is more analogous to wine or spirits, only less dangerous, then a whole other set of policy structures is appropriate.”

The report points out: “You can easily walk into a liquor store and purchase enough Jack Daniels to kill five people, but nobody will question your right to make that purchase. Why potency or quantity limits for cannabis, which most people agree is less dangerous?”

Set aside your negativity bias for a sec—America’s cannabis flowers of 420 remain more fantastic than ever before. 

Whether it’s price, potency, diversity, or delivery to your door, we live in a platinum era for getting litty.

America’s hottest flowers for 420 come hand-picked from our experts across the country. We stick our noses in hundreds of jars and burn through rolling papers like Chong. The picks mix hype with nostalgia, sweet with savory, and wakes and bake strains with nightcaps.

It’s impossible to fully encapsulate all the greatness out there so give us a read and then let your fingers do the strain hunting—open the Leafly app now.

National THC-A pick

Recommended product

Available from Pure Roots Botanicals nationwide, Tangerine Dream hemp THCA flower is an old-school mix of Haze, Afghani, and G13.

Super Runtz

First off, Runtz is to modern 420 what Guinness is to St. Patrick’s Day: a ritual. Some of the best Runtz we’ve seen is Super Runtz from Heady Heads, in Redding and Adelanto, CA indoor grower. Super Runtz is the super version—dramatically dark, bigger, blingier, more fragrant, and a total knockout. See also: Frozen Runtz, Bolo Runtz, Backpack Boys Lemon Cherry Gelato

XJ-13

Your first smoke of the day on 420 should be the sativa hybrid XJ-13. Multi-state top-shelf brand Alien Labs has doubled back onto the classic for a cheeky release of ‘jack terps’. Whether it’s J-1, or pure Jack Herer, put one in the air for the Hemperor.

The Pures

Thirdly, San Francisco was in the house at Spannabis in Barcelona in March, and the desserts were popping. Bay Area Legend Champelli’s was a popular stopover at the Sensi Seeds booth. And while the seeds looked solid, the flower he had to show off was very exceptional. It checked all those Bay Area boxes on the nose but was a heavier hitter than one might have expected given how delicious it smelled as opposed to gassy. -Jimi Devine

Lobster Butter

Fourthly, in a world that’s gone to candy terps in recent years, arguably lowering the impact and potency of the market as a whole, the rare Lobster Butter by Kushface is an absolute high-potency hitter. The cross of Butter OG x Peanut Butter Souffle smells like you have to call OSHA about an accident at a gas station. It was at the top of my list for gassy strains available in the marketplace in 2024. -J.D.

Scented Marker

Our Leafly Strain of the Year 2023 Permanent Marker widens its winning streak in 2025 with Scented Marker, grown here by Freddy’s Fuego in Washington. Specifically, Scented Marker weds the Marker to the top tropical tasting Pineapple Fruz; ooh-wee. Pungent, lingering, sweet pineapple syrup dankness.

Permanent Gas

Sour and Gas flavors are on the rise, so this combination of a classic sour and Leafly’s 2023 strain of the year is an easy pick. In particular, Permanent Gas produces thick nugs that have that Sour D shade of light green and a flavor that’s an absolute wall of gas, trailing off into hints of candy and soap. -M.J.

Southern Belle

Something heavy and pungent for the 420 party comes by way of Evan’s Creek Farms who consistently turns the heat on in Oregon. Originally bred by Archive Seed Bank around 2014, this has a ton of sweet OG and earthy Dosido on the nose and then goes heavy gas when you crack the nugs open. -M.J.

Tropic Truffle

Ever smelled a bag of weed so good you go full truffle pig? Stick your snout in these frosty buds—it’s like cracking open an orange peel soda in a dense pine forest, and the flavour follows suit. A cross between Tropicana Cookies and Mint Chocolate Chip, it’s the kind of sativa-leaning hybrid that makes everything funnier, delivering a carefree mental lift with enough body to keep you in the moment. Specifically, go for the best small-batch craft version of it, like from Ann Arbor, Michigan’s Winewood Organics—a family-run microbusiness that grows, trims, and sells everything under one roof. -Amanda Breeze. See also: Leafly Strain of the Year 2024 Super Boof (grown by Oakfruitland)

GMO Rootbeer

States like Illinois can sample the latest from the West Coast with strains like GMO Rootbeer—GMO Cookies x Root Beer. Grown by Kaviar in Illinois, the flower is spicy and flavorful, propelling you into a deep sense of euphoria. RMO Rootbeer creeps up behind the eyes and takes a loving effect throughout the rest of the body. Perfect for focusing while also staying giggly and relaxed. -Hannah Vysoky

Black Rainbow Piss

I met the team behind Royal Key nearly a decade ago, in the dawn of California’s adult-use industry. Their methods are precise—small batch, living soil, and thoughtful strain selection—and their offerings of flower and concentrates speak for themselves. Presently, they’ve landed in the Empire State with this same ethos, and their Black Rainbow Piss conjures all the magic of their original coast.

Black Rainbow (Piss) is a genetic apparition between RS11 and Geistgrow’s Geist OG, itself a collaboration with Humboldt Seed Organization with a wide mix of OG ancestors. BRP, for short, contains multitudes: gassy, sweet, pine-laden prismatic buds, and mouthfuls of terps. Straightaway, this is like being high again for the first time; you’re giggling, you’re heavy, you’re hungry, and you can’t remember how anything in the world could stress you out. As spring gives way to hot New York summers, this starts the season off on a high note. -Amelia Williams

420 best weed—4 more flavors

Coolio—growers are getting this cross of Cap Junky x Caps Frozen Oranges dialed; seek out the Delighted brand)

Trainwreck—This vintage sativa is back from obscurity, and available at scale from 7 Leaves, UpNorth)

Double Up—Straight caramelized marshmallow terps on this Mellowz (#8) x Gastro Pop (#5) cross grown excellently by Sense, bred by Compound Genetics.

Point Break—Super Boof’s even more heroic half-sister; grown superbly by Bosky, bred by Surfr Seeds.

In conclusion, that’s it for America’s hottest weed strains of 4/20 ’25. Never miss the latest heat—download the Leafly App (Android, iOS) and turn on notifications to scoop those flavors first.

Freelancers Matt Jackson, Amanda Breeze, Amelia Williams, Jimi Devine, and Hannah Vysoky contributed to this post.

Las Vegas-based Planet 13 Holdings (CSE: PLTH) (OTCQX: PLNH) slowed its roll to accommodate industry setbacks, including the November loss of recreational marijuana legalization in Florida and “ongoing industry-wide price compression,” company leadership said during its quarterly earnings call last week.

That means less rapid expansion and probably not as many new store openings in 2025 as originally hoped, co-CEO Bob Groesbeck said during the call, noting that the coming year’s focus will be on “increasing productivity of our footprint, particularly here in Florida” following the acquisition of VidaCann last year.

“2024 presented industry-wide challenges, including competition from the illicit market, the rise of intoxicating hemp products and significant price compression putting pressure on margins,” Groesbeck said.

As a result, Planet 13’s strategy has shifted, particularly because the company lost almost $50 million last year and now won’t be seeing a revenue boom in Florida, given that the state has remained medical-only following the November vote.

“While we’ve had a few more dispensary openings planned for this year, including one this week, we are intentionally slowing the pace of new openings for the balance of the year,” Groesbeck said. He estimated that Planet 13 will still likely open another four or five dispensaries in Florida this year, bringing its retail footprint to 38 or 39 cannabis stores nationwide from its current number of 34 shops.

“Right now, our focus has to be Florida,” Groesbeck said. “We’re disappointed with the vote in November, but we still have close to 1 million cardholders here in Florida. And it’s a challenging market right now. And I think it requires our complete focus to really build these stores up and drive revenue and of course, get to the margins that we need.”

The company has also been able to bolster its balance sheet in recent months, CFO Dennis Logan noted, in part by recouping $10.5 million from cannabis investment firm Casa Verde and the Orange County Sheriff’s office in connection with a lawsuit.

Planet 13 also obtained $19.3 million in tax refunds from the Internal Revenue Service by filing amended tax returns that claim exemption to 280E, a strategy that has been employed by several multistate operators over the past year but which still rests on the possible outcome of either federal marijuana rescheduling – which is now very much in doubt – or the fate of one or more federal lawsuits.

But that hasn’t stopped Planet 13 – like other MSOs – from filing the amended returns going all the way back to 2020, in an attempt to claw back as much in federal taxes as they can.

“Since September of 2023, we have taken a position that 280E does not apply, and we have been making estimated tax payments as such,” Logan said. “There are several pending income tax cases ahead of us, and we anticipate that we will have a better understanding of the potential outcome and the position we have taken in the near future. The uncertain tax balances as of Dec. 31, 2024, stood at $19.3 million and is included as a separate line item and long-term liabilities on our balance sheet.”