TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis used his veto pen to strike a bill that would have banned high-potency hemp products.
SB 1698 outlawed hemp products with delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and other cannabinoids, including whole-flower products. The products can provide a euphoric effect.
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The Florida Legislature allowed hemp to be grown in the state in 2019 as part of a federal farm law, but sponsors of the bill said the state was duped because they thought they were authorizing “industrial hemp.”
“There was a grand total of 35 acres harvested last year, of hemp. They’re not doing it for industrial purposes. There are hemp products being sold around the state, and they’re being sold because there’s a lot of money in selling people drugs. They’re using hemp products to make intoxicating substances,” State Rep. Tommy Gregory, R-Lakewood Ranch, said back in April.
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But critics argued that the bill would ban products legal under federal law, and gut a thriving industry. Some consumer groups worried it would also affect CBD products, including products like Charlotte’s Web, which helps people manage epilepsy. Businesses urged DeSantis to veto the bill. The industry has raked in billions of dollars.
In his veto letter Friday, DeSantis said the goals of the bill were commendable but would inflict small businesses with “debilitating regulatory burdens.”
“Senate Bill 1698 would introduce dramatic disruption and harm to many small retail and manufacturing businesses in Florida — businesses that have emerged due to recent legislation paving the way for the commercial use of hemp,” DeSantis wrote.
The governor suggested the Florida Legislature focus more on a sensible regulatory framework for hemp and hemp-derived products.
Information from The News Service of Florida contributed to this report
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